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Class G CN \ g^ ". n 



fater-Supplv and Irrigation Paper No. 192 Series] xi n!^3 



M, General Hydrograp 
Investigations, at' 



aer, 18 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DiBECTOK 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN 

GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY-RAINFALL AND STREAM FLOW-POLLUTION, TYPHOl 
FEVER, AND CHARACTER OF WATER-RELATION OF SOILS AND FOREST_ 
COVER TO QUALITY AND QUANTITY OP SURFACE WATER- 
! EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL WASTES ON FISHES 



BY 



HORATIO N. PAK^TJ'T' BiklLFy ^,^Lxa, R. H. EOICTir? 
W. W. ASHE, AMD M. C. MARSH 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OmCE 
1907 



MonogTBl* 



Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 192 



H, Forestry, 1-. 
„ .JL, Quality ofWater, 18 
^®"®^ ' M, General Hydrographr, 
Investigations, 20 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CHARLES D. WAIXJOTT, DiBECTOK 



3J^ 



THE POTOMAO RIVER BASIN 



y 



(lEOGRAnilC HISTORY-RAINFALL AND STREAM FLOW-POLLUTION, TYPHOID 
FEVER, AND CHARACTER OF WATER-RELATION OF SOILS AND FOREST 
COVER TO QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF SURFACE WATER- 
EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL WASTES ON FISHES 



BY 



HORATIO N. PARKER, BAILEY WILLIS, R. H. BOLSTER 
iV. W. ASHE, AND M. 0. MARSH 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OEFICE 
1907 



JUjSI 5 1907 
D. OF D. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 1 

Scope of paper 1 

Acknowledgments. . .• 2 

Historical sketch of the Potomac basin, by Horatio N. Parker 2 

Geographic history of Potomac River, by Bailey Willis'. 7 

General description of basin 7 

Development of tlie river system 9 

Stream flow in the Potomac basin, by R. H. Bolster 23 

Introduction 23 

Methods of work 23 

Field methods ; 23 

Office methods , . 24 

Definitions 26 

Explanation of tables 27 

Accuracy of estimates of stream flow 28 

Comparisons of flow 30 

Rainfall 33 

Comparison of rainfall and run-off 40 

Gaging stations 42 

North Branch of Potomac River basin 43 

General description 43 

Savage River at Bloomington, Md 43 

North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va 46 

Georges Creek at Westernport, Md 55 

Wills Greek at Cumberland, Md 58 

North Branch of Potomac River at Cumberland, Md 60 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 65 

South branch of Potomac River basin 66 

General description 66 

South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va 66 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 77 

Potomac River basin between mouth of South Branch and Shenandoah 

River 78 

Potomac River at Great Cacapon , W. Va 78 

Opequon Creek near Martinsburg, W. Va 78 

Tuscarora Creek at Martinsburg, W. Va 81 

Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md 82 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements ; 90 

Shenandoah River basin 91 

South Fork of Shenandoah River basin 91 

South River basin 91 

South River at Basic City, Va 91 

South River at Port Republic, Va 94 

III 



IV CONTENTS. 

Stream flow in the Potomac basin — Continued. Page. 
Shenandoah River basin — Continued. 

South Fork of Shenandoah River basin — Continued. 

North River basin 98 

Cooks Creek at Mount Crawford, Va 98 

Lewis Creek near Staunton , Va 101 

North River at Port Republic, Va 103 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 108 

South Fork of Shenandoah River below Port Republic, Va 108 

General description 108 

Elk Run at Elkton, Va 110 

Hawksbill Creek near Luray, Va 112 

South Fork of Shenandoah River near Front Royal 115 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 123 

North Fork of Shenandoah River basin 124 

Passage Creek at Buckton, Va 124 

North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va 125 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 135 

Shenandoah River basin below North and South forks 135 

Slope 135 

Shenandoah River at Millville, AV. Va 135 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 147 

Potomac River basin below Shenandoah River 148 

Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md 148 

Monocacy River near Frederick, Md 161 

Potomac River at Great Falls, Md., and Chain Bridge, Dis- 
trict of Columbia , 173 

Rock Creek at Lyon's Mill and Zoological Park, District of 

Columbia 173 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 178 

Floods near Washington, D. C 179 

Flood of February, 1881 179 

Flood of June, 1889 181 

Slope of Potomac River 182 

The Chesapeake and Ohio canal, by Horatio N. Parker 183 

Stream pollution, occurrence of typhoid fever, and character of surface waters 

in Potomac basin, by Horatio N. Parker 191 

Stream pollution. 191 

General aspects 191 

Industries discharging wastes into the streams 193 

Leather tanning 193 

Manufacture of tanning extracts 200 

Manufacture of wood pulp 201 

Manufacture of illuminating gas 203 

Manufacture of ammonia 206 

Wool scouring 206 

Washing woolen cloth 208 

Dyeing 208 

Manufacture of whisky 211 

" North Branch of Potomac River basin 213 

General description 213 

North Branch of Potomac River from Wilsonia to Georges 

Creek 213 

Georges Creek 217 



CONTENTS. . V 

Stream pollution, occurrence of typhoid fever, etc. — Continued. Page. 
Stream pollution — Continued. 

North Branch of Potomac River basin — Continued. 

North Branch of Potomac River from Georges Creek to Wills 

Creek 218 

Wills Creek and Cumberland 218 

North Branch of Potomac River below Wills Creek 223 

South Branch of Potomgic River basin 223 

Potomac River basin between mouth of South Branch and Shenandoah 

River 226 

Potomac River from mouth of South Branch to Pawpaw 226 

Great Cacapon River 226 

Potomac River from Great Cacapon River to Conococheague 

I Creek .227 

Conococheague Creek 227 

Opequon Creek 230 

Potomac River from Opequon Creek to Antietam Creek 232 

Antietam Creek 232 

Potomac River from Antietam Creek to Shenandoah River : . 234 

Shenandoah River basin 235 

South Fork of Shenandoah River basin 235 

South River 235 

North River 236 

South Fork of Shenandoah River below Riverton 238 

North Fork of Shenandoah River basin 240 

Shenandoah River basin below North and South forks 241 

Potomac River basin below Shenandoah River 242 

Potomac River from Shenandoah River to Monocacy River . . 242 

Monocacy River basin ': 243 

Potomac River from Monocacy River to Great Falls 245 

Population and drainage areas 246 

Occurrence of typhoid fever 254 

Causes of typhoid fever 254 

Typhoid fever at Washington, Cumberland, and Mount Savage 270 

Quality of surface waters 283 

Field assays 283 

Sanitary and mineral analyses, by Raymond Outwater 290 

Relation of soils and forest cover to quality and quantity of surface water in the 

Potomac basin, by W. W. Ashe. 299 

Effect of soils on turbidity of water 299 

General discussion 299 

Soils east of the Allegheny Front 301 

Soil formations 301 

Cecil and Chester soils 301 

Penn soils 304 

Limestone soils 304 

Shale soils 308 

Sandstone soils 311 

Soils west of the Allegheny Front 312 

Erosion of farm land 314 

Effect of forest cover on stream flow 317 

Extent and influence of forest cover 317 

Forest types 320 

Pine type 320 



IV CONTENTS. 

Stream flow in the Potomac basin — Continued. Page. 
Shenandoah River basin — Continued. 

South Fork of Shenandoah River basin — Continued. 

North River basin 98 

Cooks Creek at Mount Crawford, Va 98 

Lewis Creek near Staunton , Va 101 

North River at Port Republic, Va 103 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 108 

South Fork of Shenandoah River below Port Republic, Va 108 

General description 108 

Elk Run at Elkton, Va 110 

Hawksbill Creek near Luray, Va 112 

South Fork of Shenandoah River near Front Royal 115 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 12,3 

North Fork of Shenandoah River basin 124 

Passage Creek at Buckton, Va 124 

North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va 125 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements • 135 

Shenandoah River basin below North and South forks 135 

Slope 135 

Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va 135 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 147 

Potomac River basin below Shenandoah River 148 

Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md 148 

Monocacy River near Frederick, Md 161 

Potomac River at Great Falls, Md., and Chain Bridge, Dis- 
trict of Columbia 173 

Rock Creek at Lyon's Mill and Zoological Park, District of 

Columbia 173 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements 178 

Floods near Washington, D. C 179 

Flood of February, 1881 179 

Flood of June, 1889 181 

Slope of Potomac River 182 

The Chesapeake and Ohio canal, by Horatio N. Parker 183 

Stream pollution, occurrence of typhoid fever, and character of surface waters 

in Potomac basin, by Horatio N. Parker 191 

Stream pollution. 191 

General aspects 191 

Industries discharging wastes into the streams 193 

Leather tanning 193 

Manufacture of tanning extracts 200 

Manufacture of wood pulp 201 

Manufacture of illuminating gas 203 

Manufacture of ammonia 206 

Wool scouring , 206 

Washing woolen cloth 208 

Dj'eing 208 

Manufacture of whisky 211 

' North Branch of Potomac River basin 213 

General description 213 

North Branch of Potomac River from Wilsonia to Georges 

Creek 213 

Georges Creek 217 



CONTENTS. . V 

Stream pollution, occurrence of typhoid fever, etc. — Continued. Page. 
Stream pollution — Continued. 

North Branch of Potomac River basin — Continued. 

North Branch of Potomac River from Georges Creek to Wills 

Creek ■- 218 

Wills Creek and Cumberland 218 

North Branch of Potomac River below Wills Creek 223 

South Branch of Potomgic River basin 223 

Potomac River basin between mouth of South Branch and Shenandoah 

River 226 

Potomac River from mouth of South Branch to Pawpaw 226 

Great Cacapon River 226 

Potomac River from Great Cacapon River to Conococheague 

I Creek .227 

Conococheague Creek 227 

Opequon Creek 230 

Potomac River from Opequon Creek to Antietam Creek 232 

Antietam Creek 232 

Potomac River from Antietam Creek to Shenandoah River ; . 234 

Shenandoah River basin 235 

South Fork of Shenandoah River basin 235 

South River 235 

North River 236 

South Fork of Shenandoah River below Riverton 238 

North Fork of Shenandoah River basin 240 

Shenandoah River basin below North and South forks 241 

Potomac River basin below Shenandoah River 242 

Potomac River from Shenandoah River to Monocacy River . . 242 

Monocacy River basin 243 

Potomac River from Monocacy River to Great Falls 245 

Population and drainage areas 246 

Occurrence of typhoid fever 254 

Causes of typhoid fever 254 

Typhoid fever at Washington, Cumberland, and Mount Savage 270 

Quality of surface waters 283 

Field assays 283 

Sanitary and mineral analyses, by Raymond Outwater 290 

Relation of soils and forest cover to quality and quantity of surface water in the 

Potomac basin, by W. W. Ashe. 299 

Effect of soils on turbidity of water 299 

General discussion 299 

Soils east of the Allegheny Front 301 

Soil formations 301 

Cecil and Chester soils 301 

Penn soils 304 

Limestone soils 304 

Shale soils 308 

Sandstone soils 311 

Soils west of the Allegheny Front 312 

Erosion of farm land 314 

Effect of forest cover on stream flow 317 

Extent and influence of forest cover 317 

Forest types 320 

Pine type 320 



VI CONTENTS AND ILLCTSTEATIONS. 

Relation of soils and forest cover to quality and quantity of surface water in Page, 
the Potomac basin — Continued. 
Effect of forest cover on stream flow — Continued. 
Forest types — Continued. 

Chestnut oak — ^white oak type 321 

Chestnut type 322 

Birch-basswood — red oak type 323 

Beech — ^hard maple — hemlock type : 324 

Spruce type 324 

Melting of snow 325 

Protective forests 326 

Extension of cleared area 327 

Turbidity in reservoirs at Washington, D. C 329 

Tli.e effect of some industrial wastes on fishes, by M. C. Marsh 337 

Introduction 337 

Methods ' 338 

Paper and pulp mill wastes 340 

Tannery wastes 343 

Dye wastes from knitting mills 345 

Sewage 346 

Wastes from manufacture of illuminating gas 346 

Water-gas process 346 

Coal-gas process 347 

Wastes from both water and coal-gas processes 348 

Summary 348 

Index 349 



ILLUSTRATIONS, 



Page. 

Plate I'. Topographic and rainfall map of the Potomac drainage basin Pocket. 

II.' Drainage map of Potomac basin 8 

III.' Profile of Shenandoah River and South Fork of Shenandoah River 

from Harpers Ferry, W. Va. , to Port Republic , Va 134 

TV'. Great Falls of the Potomac 180 

V.' Plan and profile of North Branch of Potomac River and Potomac River 

from Cumberland, Md. , to Williamsport, Md 182 

VI. Plan and profile of Potomac River from Williamsport, Md., to George- 

, town, D. C -. 182 

Vllf A, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal above Williamsport, Md. ; B, Potomac 

River and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal at Dam No. 5 188 

Vim A, Wills Creek from Market Street Bridge, Cumberland, Md. ; B, Pol- 
lution of Potomac River by wastes from the mechanical wood-pulp 

mill at Harpers Ferry, W. Va 222 

IX. Diagram showing relation of stream flow to cases of typhoid fever in the 

District of Columbia 278 

X; Forestry map of the Potomac drainage basin 316 

Fig. 1. Discharge, mean-velocity, and area curves for Potomac River at Point of 

Rocks , 25 

2. Elevation of north bank of Jenniugs R\m, showing course of drainage . . . 274 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



By Horatio N. Parker, Bailey Willis, R. H. Bolster, W. W. 
Ashe, and M. C. Marsh. 



INTRODUCTION. 

SCOPE OF THE PAPER. 

Hardly a river basin in the country is of more importance from the 
point of view of the utiHzation of water resources than that of the 
Potomac. The water power developed in this area drives the wheels 
of many mills, and the waters of the streams are used in the processes 
of diverse industries. The beauty of the streams and the supply of 
fish have made a large portion of the basin a recreation ground for 
thousands of people, while the Potomac itself furnishes drinking water 
for the National Capital. In order to obtain definite information on 
the character of the water supply an extensive investigation was 
undertaken jointly by the Geological Survey, the Bureau of Forestry, 
and the Bureau of Fisheries. The result of this work is the present 
paper, in which are described all the conditions that affect the eco- 
nomic utilization of the water resources. The scope of the paper is 
best shown by enumerating the principal features of the investiga- 
tion, which are as follows: 

1. A study of the geographic history of the basin. 

2. The determination of the amount of water flowing in the prin- 
cipal streams, a compilation of all data relating to the quantity of 
water, and a study of the distribution of the rainfall. 

3. A complete reconnaissance of the drainage area with respect to 
sources of pollution, a study of the prevalence of typhoid fever in the 
District of Columbia and at other points, and an investigation- of 
the quality of the surface water as shown by field assays and sanitary 
and mineral analyses of water taken at many points. 

4. A study by the Bureau of Forestry of the effect of the soils and 
forest cover on the turbidity of the water and the flow of the streams, 
and the preparation of a map showing the forest conditions. 

5. A study by the Bureau of Fisheries of the effect of industrial 
wastes on fishes. 



THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN, 



ACKlSrOWIiEDGMENTS. 



The lively interest shown by many citizens of the Potomac basin 
in this report and the help they have given in its preparation are 
much appreciated. Especial recognition is due to Yf. D. Bryon & 
Sons, the United States Leather Company, J. R. Cover & Sons, the 
Hambleton Leather Company, the West Virginia Pulp and Paper 
Company, the Potomac Pulp Company, the Blue Ridge Knitting Com- 
pany, the Washington Gas Light Company, and the Clapp Ammonia 
Company for furnishing samples of the effluents from their factories. 
Ihis cooperation on their part has added materially to our knowledge 
of the effect of industrial v\'astes on fish life. 

Acknowledgment should be made to the United States Weather 
Bureau for rainfall da^a; to the Chief of Engmeers of the United 
States Army for profiles and elevations along certain portions of the 
river, and to the Maryland Geological Survey for the maintenance of 
the gages on Monocacy River and Antietam Creek. 

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE POTOMAC BASIIS^. 

By Horatio N. Parker. 

The Potomac became of moment in English annals with the settle- 
ment of Jamestowm, Va. Capt. John Smith discovered the river 
(Patawomek, as he spelled it) June 16, 1608, and sailed upstream 
about 30 miles to a point where, after having met with a hostile recep- 
tion from the Indians, he landed on the Virginia shore. From this 
place, probably Nomini Bay, he continued up the river, touching at 
various points, until he had passed the present site of Washington, 
''having gone up as high as they could in a boat." Here they were 
met by savages in canoes loaded with the flesh of deer, bears, and other 
animals, of which they obtained a portion. On their return journey 
they met with many adventures, but reached Jamestown in safety. 
In early colonial times the name Potomac was applied to the river 
from its mouth to its junction mth the Shenandoah at Harpers Ferry. 
The portion of- the river from that point to its source at the headwaters 
of North Branch was called the Cohongoniton, a name said to be a 
corruption of the Indian Kohonk-on-roo-ta, or "wild goose stream," 
from the great number of wild geese that inhabited it, the "ko-honk! 
ko-honk!" of the bird suggesting the term. 

Lord Fairfax in his land grants on this part of the watercourse des- 
ignated it Potomac, by which means it gradual^ lost its ancient name. 
Shenandoah River was first called Gerando, then Sherandoah, and 
finally Shenandoah. For a long time after the settlement of Jamestown 
the colonists, terrified by the gloomy forests of the interior, clung 
to the coast; but in 1716 Grovernor Spottswood led an expedition to 



HISTORICAL SKETCH. 6 

the Blue Ridge and reached its summit, probably near Swift Run Gap. 
He descended into the valley, crossed the river, which he named 
Euphrates, and took possession of the country in the name of the 
King of England. There were no direct results from the expedition, 
but it had the good effect of dispelling the mystical terror with which 
the colonists had invested the region. 

Prior to its occupation by the settlers the valley of Virgmia was a 
hunting ground for various Indian tribes, who burned the grass every 
fall before going into winter quarters in order to keep down the for- 
ests. Consequently the only timber was along the streams and well 
back in the mountains. The forests that now exist have sprung up 
since those times. The trails followed by the colonists through the 
mountains were established by the buffaloes and other large game 
and M' ere well worn by the Indians. The valley, as has been said, was 
a hrmting g]#und rather than a permanent abode of the aborigines. 
Hence the few villages in it were of a temporary nature and had a 
fitful existence. The game consisted of buffalo, elk, deer, bear, pan- 
ther, and wild cats, besides beavers, wolves, foxes, and other animals. 
The Indians welcomed the Pennsylvania colonists because of the trust 
they had in William Penn, but they showed great hostility toward the 
settlers from tidewater, whom they called "The Long Knives," and 
whom they hated. In 1753 emissaries from west of the Alleghenies 
came among the valley Indians and invited them to cross the moun- 
tains, which they did in 1754. Their sudden exodus caused much 
uneasiness among the Virginia colonists, who feared that the action 
foreboded impending hostilities. This proved true enough, for it was 
probably French influence that coaxed the Indians away, and after 
Braddock's defeat they terrorized the valleys of South Branch and 
the Shenandoah, committing many outrages, and not being driven 
back until the close of the French and Indian war. 

~ The upper and lower portions of the valley of Virginia were settled 
at about the same time. The colonists of the tide-water region made 
their way up the lowland rivers and finally passed over the mountains 
into the valley, and at the same time, or a few years before, the region 
toward the Potomac was settled by Scotch-Irish and Germans from 
Pennsylvania. The Scotch-Irish were the pioneers and established 
homesteads along Opequon Creek from the Potomac to what is now 
Winchester. The Germans followed. Joist Hite, in 1732, obtained a 
grant of 40,000 acres and with 16 families moved from Pennsylvania, 
cutting the road from York, crossing the Cohongoruton 2 miles above 
Harpers Ferry, and settling on Opequon Creek 5 miles south of Win- 
chester. His followers built Strasburg and other towns along Massa- 
nutten Mountain. In 1733 Jacob Stover took a grant for 5,000 acres 
of land on South Fork of the Shenandoah, and in 1734 settlers from 
Monocacy, Md., located on North Fork of the Shenandoah, 12 miles 



4 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN . 

south of Woodstock. Two cabins, erected in 1738 near Shawnee 
Springs, were the beginning of the town of Winchester, long a frontier 
post of the colony in that quarter. John Lewis brought over from 
Ireland and Scotland 100 families and settled near what is now 
Staunton, Augusta County. Conococheague Creek was settled at 
Greencastle, Pa., in 1734, the place being first known as the Conoco- 
cheague Settlements. In 1734 Richard Morgan obtained a tract of 
land near Shepherdstown, the oldest town in West Alrginia. Romney, 
W. Va., was laid out by Lord Fairfax in 1742 and is the second oldest 
town in the State. In 1748 Robert Harper, an English millwright, 
came to Harpers Ferry. Benjamin Allen, Riley Moore, and William 
White built homes on the Monocacy prior to 1734, and in 1735 the 
Schle3'^s, with about 100 families from Germany, Switzerland, and 
France, established themselves on the Monocacy, the first house in 
Frederick being erected by Thomas Schley in 1735. ^jBy 1748 the 
German immigrants had taken possession of many valuable tracts 
along Monocacy River and Catoctin Creek. At an earl}^ period many 
immigrants became occupants of the Cacapon and Lost River valleys 
and numerous settlements were made on Back and Cedar creeks. In 
1741 Col. Thomas Cresap, with his own and several other families, 
located at "Shewaneese" Oldtown, on North Branch of the Potomac. 
The first settlers on the Wappatomaka, as South Branch of the 
Potomac was called, located in 1734 or 1735. They failed to secure 
title to their lands, and so became involved in a dispute with Lord 
Fairfax, who, they felt, dealt harshly with them. There is a tradition 
that Lord Fairfax became interested in his Virginia venture through 
meeting John Howard, who, with his son, is said to have explored the 
valley of Virginia prior to its settlement and to have discovered the 
valley of South Branch, crossed the Allegheny Mountains, and gone 
down Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, where they were 
arrested as suspicious characters and sent to Paris; thence, no cause 
being found for holding them, they went to London,where the meeting 
with Lord Fairfax is said to have occurred. Lord Fairfax came to 
Virginia in 1742 and opened an office in Fairfax County for granting 
land warrants. A few years later he moved to what he called Green- 
way Court, 12 or 14 miles southeast of Winchester, where he kept liis 
office until he died in 1781. His surveyors decided that North Branch 
was the main stream of the Potomac and located the "Fairfax Stone" 
at its head October 17, 1746. This action was greatly to his advan- 
tage, for had South Branch been chosen as the "first fountain" the 
Fairfax holdings would have been much reduced. Later the States of 
Virginia and Maryland became involved in a dispute as to the loca- 
tion of the boundarj^ line between them, and though the question has 
never been settled Virginia has been able to maintain the North 
Branch as the boundary, basing her claim on the location of the 
"Fairfax Stone." 



HISTORICAL SKETCH. 5 

In 1725 John Van Metre, a trader from Hudson River, traversed 
the lower Shenandoah, upper Potomac, and South Branch valleys, 
and at Hanging Rocks witnessed a bloody battle between two parties 
of Indians. He returned home much impressed with the richness of 
the South Branch region and advised his sons to move there, which 
they subsequently did. The earliest settlers found a natural clearing 
in the woods at Oldfields and built a fort there, which was the scene 
of many fights with the savages. 

Lands on Patterson Creek began to attract the pioneers a little 
before Fort Cumberland was completed in the winter of 1754-55. In 
1728 there was an Indian town known as Caiuc-tu-cuc on the ground 
between Wills Creek, or, as it was then known, Caiuc-tu-cuc Creek, 
and North Branch; it was located for the most part upon the site 
of the west side of what is now Cumberland. The Indian village 
was abandoned and in its place a settlement of whites slowly grew 
up. The last Indian to remain and have authority was known as 
Will, and the town for a long time was known as Will's Town, the 
creek as Will's Creek, and the mountain where he had his home as 
Will's Mountain. His rights in the country appear to have been 
recognized, for the early settlers always made him a present when 
they took up land. The first comer to Cumberland of whom there is 
record was an Englishman named Evitt, who led the life of a recluse 
in his cabin on top of Evitts Mountain, where he died before 1749. 

Georges Creek took its name from an Indian, George, who had his 
hunting lodge on the present site of Lonaconing. He was a favorite 
of and lived with Col. Thomas Cresap, of Old town, who had employed 
his father, Nemacolin, to mark out the road from Cumberland to 
Brownsville, on the Monongahela. General Braddock followed the 
path and the national road varies but little froni it. This testifies to 
the excellent manner in which the Indian did his work. 

Cumberland was long the outpost of civilization in the Potomac 
Valley. The last refuge of the Indians was on Savage Mountain; 
hence its name. The first settlers on Georges Creek came from New 
Jersey and Virginia. Prior to 1830 there were not more than 30 
houses in Georges Creek valley. North Branch above Westernport 
seems to have been well known at an early date. Washington, on 
his return from the trip to Ohio in 1784, crossed the stream and men- 
tions in his journal for September 26 that he was told bj'' Joseph 
Logston, who had hunted along the river, that there was no fall in it, 
and that from Fort Cumberland to the mouth of Savage River the 
water was frequently made use of in its natural condition for canoes, 
and that from thence upward it was rapid only in places, with loose 
rocks which could be easily removed. 

September 27 Washington crossed Stony River, which he speaks of 
as appearing larger than North Branch. On his return to Mount 
Vernon he made a map of the country he had visited, on which was 



6 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

shown North Branch with the tributaries Difficult Greek, Stony 
River, Abrams Creek, New Creek, Georges Creek, Savage River, and 
the head of Patterson Creek. A map by Joseph Shriver, pubHshed 
in 1824, shows North Branch from Westernport to its source, the only 
town above Westernport being Paddytown, now Keyser, W. Va. 

Coal seems to have been known to the earliest settlers. In 1804 it 
was discovered near the present site of Frostburg. In 1810 a tre- 
mendous freshet stripped the earth from the banks of Guinea Run, 
displaying the coal on what is known as the Barton property. People 
came from miles around to see "the mountain of coal." For some 
time is was mined with mattocks and the ore was hauled to Winches- 
ter and Romney for blacksmi thing purposes. In 1814 or 1815, while 
the national road was being made, coal was found at Eckhart Mines 
and was hauled in wagons to Cumberland and Baltimore. Three or 
four bateaux arrived at Washiiigton April 20, 1826, laden with coal 
from the rich mines at Cumberland. Up to 1842 merchants, laborers, 
and others engaged in various pursuits in the summer and worked in 
the mines or coal banks, as they were called, in the winter, some as 
teamsters, some as boat builders, and some as miners. The coal was 
hauled to the river bank and piled there in large quantities. In the 
spring freshets the boats, which hauled from 1,000 to 1,500 biishels, 
were sent down the river to the purchasers. The flatboats were not 
returned, but occasionally a keel boat laden with supplies was labori- 
ously poled back. From 50 to 60 boats, carrying an aggregate of 
75,000 bushels of coal, comprised the total shipment each year previ- 
ous to the completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1842, 
As the coal business was conducted up to that time, it was hazardous 
to capital and destructive to the lives of those engaged in carrying it 
on, many boats being wrecked on the rocks in the river. Hence few 
mines were worked, the chief being the old Eckhart mine, 9 miles west 
of Cumberland. The Georges Creek Coal and Iron Company was the 
first to develop mines west of Frostburg. It began excavations for 
its iron furnace in 1836. Coal was first shipped on the Chesapeake 
and Ohio Canal in 1850. The coal fields of North Branch above Pied- 
mont were-described by Prof. W. B. Rogers in 1839 in his report on the 
geology of Virginia. 

The orderly development of the Potomac Valley proceeded until the 
outbreak of the civil war, when the arts of peace were suspended and 
this battle around of the Indian became that of the white man. The 
great battles of Antietam and Gettysburg were fought within the val- 
ley's borders, as were a host of other no less bravely contested engage- 
ments. For four years the work of destruction went on, but with the 
advent of peace in due time came prosperity, which has continued, 
until to-day the growth of the industries and population in the valley 
is healthy and vigorous. 



GEOGRAPHKJ HISTOKY OF POTOMAC RIVER. 



By Bailey Willis. 



GENERAL WESCKIPTIOlsr OF BASIIST. 

The Potomac, rising among the Allegheny Plateaus and Appala- 
chian Ranges,'^ gathers its waters in a main channel wliich crosses the 
grain of the country in a southeasterly course. Its niouth is an estu- 
ary, a branch of Chesapeake Bay. Washington is situated, at the 
head of tide water, where the estuary receives the river proper. The 
stretch from Washington upstream to Cumberland, a distance of lOS 
miles in a direct line and 186 miles by the river, is the trunk channel. 
The Shenandoah, Great Cacapon, and South Branch are its principal 
feeders. They enter from the southwest. North Branch is the actual 
head of the^ river. The tributaries from the northeast are relatively 
short, Wills Creek, Conococheague Creek, and Monocacy River being 
the principal ones. 

Although the Potomac watershed is a mountainous region, charac- 
terized by ranges of notable height and contin^y, it is not limited by 
the greater elevations. We are apt to think or the basin of a river as 
an area surrounded by a high or at least obvious divide, but that is 
not true of the Potomac. Its trunk channel cuts across the ranges; its 
branches embrace them ; its headwaters in North Branch invade even 
the plateau whose bold scarp suggests an unbroken divide. The prin- 
cipal streams rise in valleys which extend with undiminished width 
and without change of the gentle slope beyond the head springs. In 
their continuation other springs and brooks gather' and flow in a direc- 
tion opposite to that taken by the waters of the Potomac. The part- 
ing streams are opponents, which compete for territory. The basin 
which the Potomac may drain is limited by its competitors. The 
Susquehanna holds the valley of Pennsylvania, the James is en- 
trenched in southern Virginia, and the Big Kanawha and Mononga- 
hela contest the western plateau region. 

The shape of the Potomac drainage basin west of the Blue Ridge is 
oval; its length, northeast to southwest, being 160 miles and its width 

tt Powell, J. W., Physiographic regions of the United States: National Geographic Monographs, vol. 
1, No. 3, 1895, map. 

7 



8 THE POTOMAC KTVER BASIN. 

but 80 miles. In consequence of the great length of the southern 
tributaries, the trunk channel crosses the northern part of the basin 
and leaves the oval at its northeast corner, where it and the brooks 
that join it constitute a triangular expansion of the watershed. 

The arrangement of streams within the watershed deserves notice. 
By a study of the outline map (PI. II) it will be seen that there is a 
peculiar parallelism among the many rivers flowing to the northeast 
or southwest, and also a marked tendency to courses which for short 
distances are at right angles to the general direction. The arrange- 
ment is a common one in certain regions, and a stream system thus 
developed is known as "trellised drainage," from the resemblance 
which the rivers bear to the stems of a vine on a trellis. While a trel- 
lised plan exists in much of the Potomac basin, it does not extend 
throughout. Another plan is to be noted, for example, in the Monoc- 
acy. Goose Creek, headwaters of the Shenandoah, and highest forks of 
North Branch. This is a plan characterized by acutely branching 
streams which divide as do the limbs of an elm tree. 

Trellised drainage of the Potomac is restricted to the Appalachian 
Ranges and results from the grain of the country; that is to say, from 
the fact that the rocks are arranged in layers which show their edges 
at the surface and thus extend long distances in one direction. Some 
are hard (sandstones) and some are soft (shales and limestones). 
Ridges persist on the hard belts as valleys develop on the soft rocks 
between, and the streams for the most part follow the grain. There 
are conditions, however, under which they must cross from one valley 
to another, which they do in a gap at right angles to the sandstone 
ridge ; hence the shortWiransverse courses at right angles to the longi- 
tudinal ones. 

Wlaere the rocks which appear at the surface are of the same texture 
and solubility over a considerable area, the streams find no belts esper 
cially adapted to the development of valleys; neither are there any 
harder layers peculiarly competent to maintain ridges ; and in engrav- 
ing the bas-relief of hills and ravines, the streams grow according to 
minor accidents of the surface, as gullies grow in a field. 

Specific names have been given to the various patterns which 
river systems assume. "V\Tiere the valleys are developed on belts 
of soft rocks, and ridges are maintained by hard rocks, the streams 
are said to be "adjusted." Trellised drainage is adjusted. Where 
the branches diverge upstream from one another like the gullies in a 
field or the branches of an elm, they are called "self -grown," or 
"autogenous." The Monocacy presents an example of the autog- 
enous pattern. 

We have thus far considered the plan of the Potomac system as it 
appears on a map. The vertical profile and cross section also present 
significant peculiarities. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 192 PL. II 



7930' " 




Scale 
20 30 40 50 miles 



DRAINAGE MAP OF THE POTOMAC BASIN. 



DF.VELOPMENT OF THE RIVER SYSTEM. 9 

An ideal river profile is a curve which descends sharply near the 
source, becomes flatter and flatter, and at the mouth is a straight 
line, tangent to the level of discharge. The ideal curve is concave 
upward from source to mouth. The Potomac departs very decidedly 
from this ideal. The trunk channel from Cumberland to Washington 
is interrupted by rapids, which separate long flat reaches; at each 
rapid the profile is broken by a sharp bend, which is convex on the 
upper side — the reverse of the ideal. Near the very mouth of the 
river is Great Falls, over which the waters plunge to a series of lesser 
rapids that descend sharply to tide water. This is not at all the 
normal tangent. (See profiles, Pis. V and VI, p. 182.) 

The tributaries exliibit profiles possessing similar irregularities, 
and it is particularly noticeable tliroughout the system that wher- 
ever a smaller stream enters a larger one a rapid or cascade marks 
the final descent of the smaller. 

The ideal cross section of a river valley is, like the ideal profile, a 
curve which is concave upward and flattens from the divide to the 
stream. In this respect also the Potomac and its tributaries depart 
from the normal. The cross sections of the valleys are made up of 
steep slopes and flats, which constitute an irregular curve. Descend- 
mg steeply from a divide, the traveler comes upon a flat or plain, 
which may extend for several miles. Although the surface of the 
flat is as a rule deeply cut by brooks, the journey may be continued 
nearly at a level by following the spurs between them. But wher- 
ever a stream, large or small, is approached, it is necessary to descend 
sharply into a trench. Along the lower Potomac, below Great Falls, 
this trench is a picturesque canyon 220 feet deep. The flat on each 
side of it is an outer valley several miles across. Along the Shenan- 
doah similar features are found, the river flowing at the bottom of a 
ravine, while the broad plain of the great valley of Virginia stretches 
away with nearly level though dissected surface to the Blue Ridge 
and Massanutten Mountain. 

DETELOPMEISTT OF THE RIVER SYSTEM. 

Enough has been suggested in the precedmg description to show 
that the Potomac and its tributaries are regarded as an iadividual 
stream system which has developed froni some previous condition 
to its present proportions. It has been limited in growth by com- 
petition with neighboring rivers. Its development has been directed 
along lines of least resistance and its branches have extended in 
belts of weak rocks. It has sculptured the surface, its rills, rivulets, 
brooks, creeks, and branches everywhere constantly taking some 
material in solution or as sediraent and delivering it to the trunk 
stream, which carried it away. The features which the river has 
modeled are the channel or inner canyon in which it flows, the 



10 THc: POTOMAC KIVEB BASIN". 

broader valley that expands at a liiglier level, and the steep slopes 
of the ridges that rise within and around the basin. But these are 
the features of the entire landscape, except perhaps the liighest parts 
of the ridges; and they, too, owe their long level crests to the activity 
of the river, as will be better understood when the history is traced. 

We recognize that the Potomac has been, and indeed is, a working, 
growmg system. Its task is to excavate its basin, to erode valleys 
and mountains till no elevations remaia. Its power depends on its 
volume, its fall, and a just proportion of sand' with which to cut 
away the hard rocks in its course. 

The trunk channel being deepened, the tributary channels have 
also been cut down, but not so speedily; hence the rapids near their 
mouths. The deepening, spreading from the main stream to large 
branches, from the large branches to their forks, and from each fork 
to the smallest rivulets, has extended outward over the entire basin. 
It proceeds immediately from an elevation of the land. Its limit is 
the lowest level to which the main stream can cut its channel at its 
mouth — the level of discharge, from which when the work lof chan- 
nel cutting is done the profile will rise in the long ideal concave 
curve. A stream that has reached that stage is said to be graded. 
It is evident that the Potomac has much work to do before it can be 
called a graded stream. 

The channel of the main river will usually become graded before 
those of its tributaries, and the next step is the grading of the valley 
slopes. Each brook, rivulet, and rill goes through the same process 
as the main stream. The effect is reduction of the slopes to the 
inclination on which the waters flow but do not cut. As the grade 
extends to the higher divides, even they are reduced, and in time 
the lowest possible slope is established over the entire surface of a 
river basin. 

Anyone familiar with the mountains among which the Potomac 
flows may well pause to ask if such a leveling of their heights can 
ever be accomplished; but the student of the river's history learns 
not only that in time they must be leveled, but also that in times 
past the river has had the work then before it much more nearly 
accomplished than now. It now runs in a canyon which it is deepen- 
ing. It once flowed on the level of the outer valley, which it had cut 
to that level and widened to an extensive grade. Indeed, long 
before that it had taken its course over a plain which coincided w^ith 
the tops of the present ridges sjfed which it had graded from still older 
m_ountains. 

The bistory of the river's work has been one of successive gradings 
in consequence of successive elevations of the land. Let us attempt 
to follow its major outlines. 

Age is a subject not usually discussed with reference to rivers and 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIVER SYSTEM. 11 

mountains. They all appear very old. But some are older than 
others, and among the rivers of North America the Potomac and its 
neighbors are of an older generation. The Appalachian Ranges, on 
the other hand, are relatively young; and so it happens that the 
Potomac is older than the mountains in which it rises and across 
which it flows. It may, however, be compared to a tree of which the 
trunk is aged, while the branches and branchlets are younger, some 
of them very young. The careful student of physiography will 
some day search out the history of the system as a whole and of each 
branch separately — a complex study, for which the data are not jet 
available; but we can indicate the principal facts and, where our 
present knowledge halts, point out the problem to be attacked. 

Before there was a Potomac, in the age of the coal deposits of 
the Carboniferous, streams flowed southwestward from New York, 
eastern Pennsylvania, and eastern Virginia toward the interior sea 
that lingered over the Southwestern States. We feel confident of 
this, because the relative positions of land and coal marsh and sea 
are recorded in the rocks laid down at the time, but we can not 
identify the position of any particular river. There were then no 
mountains where the Appalachians now extend, but ranges began 
to develop in the next succeeding epoch, during what is known as 
the Appalachian revolution. Very great changes occurred in the 
relative positions of land and water, and the movement of the earth's 
crust was such that a belt of strata 100 miles or more in width, extend- 
ing from New York to Alabama, and from 10,000 to 30,000 feet 
thick, was folded so as to produce arches and troughs. The effects 
were no doubt of gradual development, but in all probability they 
were such that the arches attained the height of notable mountains, 
and the troughs became open valleys or inclosed basins. The pre- 
viously existing streams were more or less checked and diverted by 
folding of the strata, and we suppose that they were so effectually 
changed that a new river system was substituted for them. A por- 
tion of that system flowed on a surface above the Potomac basin, 
and the Potomac is probably descended from it. 

The geologic age referred to in the last paragraph is the Permian, 
an age during which aridity was a common, if not a general, condition 
of the climate of several continents. It is possible that the climate 
of the Appalachian province was for a longer or shorter epoch so 
arid that rivers ceased to flow, but there is no direct evidence of the 
condition. 

We suppose that the oldest rivers, which developed courses on the 
surface of the folded strata, flowed along the troughs and across 
from trough to trough, between and across the arches that stood as 
mountain ridges. The courses were essentially parallel to those of 
the trellised system of the present time, but the trunk channel may 
IKR 192—07 2 



12 THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 

have led the waters westward toward the interior sea, instead of 
southeastward to the Atlantic, as is now the case." 

The surface was then several thousand feet above the present sur- 
face. Even the mountain tops which we now see were then deeply 
buried beneath solid rock and lay below sea level. A swelling of the 
earth's crust has since raised the mass of the Appalachian Mountains.. 

Thus the earliest rivers with which the Potomac may be related are 
those which developed in consequence of the folding that occurred in 
the Appalachian region during the Permian age. Their courses are 
supposed to have been determined by the troughs or vallej^s which 
resulted from folding, and they are therefore called "consetiuent." 

Consequent streams are those which flow in the direction of slope 
that is due to folding or warping of the surface. They differ from 
adjusted streams in that they take their courses along a low line or 
down a slope instead of working out a valley in soft rocks. But in a, 
region like that of the Potomac, where beds of hard and soft rocks 
occur in long parallel folds, a consequent system becomes an adjusted 
system at an early stage of valley cutting. 

The folded structure of the Appalachian Ranges has been carefully 
studied, and we are able to locate the lines which were the bottoms 
of troughs in the Permian surface. Though high above the present 
surface, the deeper troughs closely corresponded in position with 
Massanutten Mountain, Great North Mountain, and South Branch 
Mountain. Rivers which occupied them flowed parallel to the present 
streams, but along and above the now existing mountain tops. The 
old valleys have become mountain ridges. This change is of frequent 
occurrence in the process of adjustment, as streams sink their chan- 
nels through alternate hard and soft strata,^ and there is no difficulty 
in understanding how the rivers that now flow by the sides of the 
former troughs, or even in valleys along the crests of arches which 
correspond with former mountains, are related to the old consequent 
system. 

Another trough which should be mentioned is the valley of Georges 
Creek and North Fork above Bloomington. It is one of the deepest 
troughs in the Potomac basin, and we need not doubt that it was 
occupied by a branch of the consequent drainage, but on a valley 
bottom high above the present surface. 

Following the line of thought suggested in the preceding para- 
graphs, we may state the simplest outline of the history of the 
Potomac in the following way : The Potomac is the descendant of a 
consequent drainage system which developed on the Permian surface 
during or after the Appalachian folding. Being established in a 
region which presents an alternation of decidedly hard and soft 

oDavis, W. M., Rivers and valleys of Pennsylvania: Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. 1, 1889, pp. 222 et seq. 
!> Willis, Bailey, Topography and structure of the Bays Mountains: School of Mines Quarterly, vol. 8, 
1887, pp. 242-252. 



DEVELOPMENT OP THE BIVER SYSTEM. 13 

rocks arranged in long, narrow belts, the streams have become 
adjusted to the softer strata. In sinking their channels down 
tlu-ough several thousand feet of varying rock they have indeed 
become so thoroughly adjusted that stretches beneath the old valleys 
have become mountain ridges capped with hard sandstone, and val- 
leys are developed on either side, in places even along the tops of 
arches. 

Granting this statement the advantage of being probably true, we 
ma}^ compare it with one that we are descended from Adam. Many 
links are omitted and much is unaccounted for. It is not enough to 
know the structure of a river basin and the adjustment of the river 
system to it. We need to know also the profiles and cross sections of 
the valleys and the deposits which the river from time to time in the 
course of its long existence has made in them, as well. Furthermore, 
we need to look over the mountain tops to ascertain what remnants 
of old surfaces are there visible. 

To pursue the siibject more closely it is necessary to digress to the 
history of the mountains before the elevation of the ranges which we 
now see. 

The Permian Appalachians are known to have been greatly ele- 
vated in the process of folding. It is possible that elevation pro- 
gressed so slowly that erosion nearly kept pace with it in wearing 
down the heights, and if so, the mountains never attained great alti- 
tude ; but it is more likely that the elevation went on with compara- 
tive rapidity and was attended by the development of conspicuous 
heights. This inference rests, however, on geologic reasoning. 
There are no great mountains to which one, looking abroad over the 
Appalachian Ranges, can point as Permian mountains. On the con- 
trary, he who looks across from Massanutten to Great North and 
from Great North to the Allegheny Front sees long, even-crested 
ridges, which suggest a plain. If the valleys were filled to the rim 
with the material which the streams have carried away, the region 
would become a plain; and above such a surface stood the mountains 
of Permian time. They are no longer there. 

In the lowlands of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, 
and Virginia there are deposits of red sandstone and mud rock, the 
materials of which were derived from adjacent areas, in large part 
from the district of the Permian mountains. The strata are Triassic, 
slightly more recent than the Permian, and are of such volume that 
if restored en masse to the place of their origin they would form a con- 
siderable mountain chain. They no doubt represent a part of the 
Permian mountains which wasted away under attacks of eroding 
agents. 

It is a somewhat surprising conclusion that the Permian Appa- 
lachian Mountains not only wasted to low hills, but disappeared so 



14 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

completely that a plain extended from sea level across much of the 
region where they previously stood; yet that such was the fact we 
are led to believe by two lines of reasoning. Spread over the Atlantic 
Coastal Plain are deposits of gravel, sand, and clay washed from the 
region to the west during the epochs succeeding that of the strata 
which represent part of the waste of the Permian Appalachians. 
Geologists class the epochs as Jurassic and Cretaceous. The deposits 
are small in amount, and if restored to the watersheds of the streams 
which carried them away would not materially increase the altitude 
of the surface. As there is no mass of sediments of that time equiv- 
alent to a mountain range in volume, we reason that there was no 
range. The only escape from the conclusion is through the assump- 
tion that thicker deposits lie buried out to sea ; but well borings show 
that the strata which do exist there are of fine calcareous material, 
chiefly marine sediment, which does not represent the immediate 
waste of mountains. 

In corroboration, if we look over the Appalachian Ranges for rem- 
nants of highlands which may have existed during Jurassic and 
Cretaceous times, we find them of slight extent. The principal sum- 
mits of the Blue Ridge, scattered heights of the Allegheny Plateaus, 
and the big balds of the Great Smoky Mountains were then low, 
rounded hills.® They still possess that form. Extending from them 
at a lower level are the long, even crests of the Appalachian Ranges, 
which, if the valleys between them were filled, would correspond with 
the surface of a plain. Once nearly level, this plain is so no longer. 
In West Virginia it lies at an altitude of 4,000 feet above the present 
sea level, but west of Washington it sinks to 1,000 feet, and near the 
city passes under the surface, being buried by the gravels and clays 
of the so-called Potomac formation, which is at the base of the Juras- 
sic and Cretaceous sediments above referred to. The topographic 
features of the time are thus distinguished from those of later epochs 
by the fact that in the existing mountains they possess peculiar 
roundness and flatness and occur at high altitudes, whereas along the 
Coastal Plain the representative surface passes beneath the strata of 
later age. 

The recognition of the ancient plain which characterized the eastern 
United States and also Canada during the Jurassic and Cretaceous 
ages was a most important step in the understanding of the histor}^ 
of the mountains and rivers. From its conspicuous character in the 
crest of Schooley Mountain, New Jersey, it has been named the 
Schooley peneplain." 

a Hayes, C. W., and Campbell, M. R., Geomorphology of the southern Appalachians: Nat. Geog. Mag., 
vol. 6, 1894, pp. 63-126, PI. V. 

b Peneplain is a technical term meaning almost plain. It is used to avoid the suggestion of a per- 
fectly plain surface. It is consistently applied to a region of wide valleys among low hills, or to a 
true plain, the degree of unevenness being indeterminate; but it carries by definition the implication 
that the sui-faco has been planed by the ordinary processes of atmospheric erosion. 



DEVELOPMENT OE THE RIVER SYSTEM. 15 

We may now return to the Potomac, to discover, if possible, its 
course on the Schooley peneplain and to trace its further develop- 
ment. 

It has already been stated that the consequent drainage of the 
Permian Appalachians probably joined in a trunk channel and flowed 
to the southwest. The Potomac above Harpers Ferry could not 
then have existed, except perhaps as a stream rising in the Blue Ridge 
and pursuing a course toward Cumberland. The Shenandoah, South 
Branch, and other large tributaries, which are now adjusted to the 
valleys in limestone and shale, were then represented by streams 
flowing along the troughs produced by folding. By the time the 
Permian Appalachians had wasted to a peneplain still having pro- 
nounced relief the adjustment of the branches was accomplished and 
they were probablj^ established along the lines of their present valleys, 
but near the level of the now existing sandstone ridges. The trunk 
channel may still have descended westward. East of the Blue Ridge 
there M^ere rivers that carried down sediment to the Coastal Plain and 
spread it there. Part of it constitutes the base of the Potomac forma- 
tion, and consists of coarse pebbles and bowlders of quartz and 
quartzite derived from ledges in the Blue Ridge. It was distributed 
by streams meandering over the eroded surface of the ancient gneisses, 
with the sands of which the cobbles are mingled. A river corre- 
sponding with the Potomac below Harpers Ferry probably had a more 
or less important share in this work, which was accomplished during 
the later part of the Jurassic age. It is possible that the river even 
then rose west of the Blue Ridge. 

When the Schooley peneplain had been eroded to very low relief, 
conditions were favorable for extension of drainage lines on the part 
of strong streams at the expense of weaker ones. The processes by 
which such extension is accomplished are complex and subject to 
many qualifying conditions. They can not be detailed here, but in 
general there are three principal factors which affect the result. 

A river of large volume is commonly stronger than one of less vol- 
ume. One which has rapid fall — that is, one which takes a short 
course to a low point of discharge — is advantageously situated. 
Finally, one which is developing a channel in soft rocks is likely to 
reach a low level sooner than one which is working in hard rocks, and 
may thus develop a steep fall near its head, which gives it a local 
advantage. 

In attempting to understand how the consequent drainage that 
initially flowed westward became reversed, so that the present direc- 
tion of flow was established, we find that the item of relatively short 
course and steeper fall appears to have been the determining factor. 
Whether the divide be assumed at the Blue Ridge or at any other 
point within the Potomac basin, the course to tide level near Wash- 
ington is much shorter than that toward the southwest, in w\ich 



16 THE POTOMAC MVER BASIN. 

direction there was then, so far as we know, no sea nearer than the 
Gulf of Mexico, if as near. The eastern course, being shorter, was 
steeper, and streams pursuing it attacked the divide between them- 
selves and western rivers more vigorously than the latter did. The 
rocks of the Blue Ridge are hard and no doubt formed a height which 
long resisted the work of the gnawing brooks that ran down its 
eastern slope; but inasmuch as it was leveled to a low ridge by the 
very slow process of general denudation, it must have yielded sooner 
to the more effective abrading action of running water and sand. 

At some time, probably early in the development of the Schooley 
peneplain, the Blue Ridge was thus cut through from the east. This 
result follows directly from its geographic position in relation to tide 
water, but it may have been accelerated by elevation of the western 
or depression of the eastern region in such a way as to increase the 
advantage of the eastward course. Davis, who first recognized the 
reversal," suggests that it occurred when the basin in which the 
Triassic sediments from the Permian Appalachians were deposited 
was developed, in which case the present course of the Potomac has 
been established since Triassic time instead of only since late Jurassic 
or early Cretaceous. 

The Potomac at Harpers Ferry was not the only stream which 
succeeded in crossing the ridge. Each of the several gaps that notch 
the Blue Ridge, as, for example, Snickers Gap at the head of Goose 
Creek, though a wind gap now, was a water gap then, and was occu- 
pied by the successful stream. The Blue Ridge being cut through, 
the eastern waters were divided only by limestone from the rivers 
which drained the Great Valley, and having gained ground in the 
contest for the main divide, they were able to continue doing so; but 
as the hard rocks of the Blue Ridge lay across their upper courses 
their progress beyond was probably slow at first, until they had cut 
the gaps below the general level of the peneplain on the limestone. 
That they should eventually expand in the Great Valley and capture 
the streams which still formed the headwaters of the westward-flowing 
main river was an inevitable result of their shorter course to the sea. 
The development of several systems, among which the basin of the 
present Potomac was divided, was a natural result. 

The preceding explanation of the growth of the Potomac across the 
Blue Ridge and beyond to the Allegheny Front is based on a well- 
known action by which streams grow at their heads as a tree grows at 
the tijDS of twigs. It is technically known as "headwater" erosion or 
"retrogressive" erosion. 

A somewhat different account of the development of the Potomac 
may be based on what is known as a " superimposed " course. If it be 
assumed that the Schooley peneplain was covered with alluvium to a 

a Davis, W. M., Rivers and valleys of Pennsylvania: Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. 1, 1889, p. 229. 



DEVEx^OPMENT OP THE EIVEB SYSTEM. 17 

sufficient depth to bury the lowest parts of sandstone ridges, then it is 
probable that streams would become established across the ridges as 
well as between them. Transverse channels would develoj) rapidly 
if the plain were so warped as to increase the declivity toward the east. 
In.the progress of warping the deepening channel would be cut down to 
hard rocks, but the river would then be intrenched and could not 
depart from its established course across the gram. This process 
implies very uniform planation of the surface, and might have led to 
a less direct course than that which the Potomac has; but it ma)' 
have played some part in the river's early history, as it probably did 
in some later episodes." 

Leaving the problem of the exact manner of development to the 
careful investigation which it merits, we may consider the course of 
the Potomac from Cumberland to Harpers Ferry as having been estab- 
lished on the Schooley peneplain. The trunk channel was then fed by 
tributaries which entered it as the principal branches now do, and the 
sj^stem was one which may fairly be called the "Potomac." It did 
not, however, have the expansion of watershed which it now has, but 
was probably much more restricted toward the south, the Shenan- 
doah, South Branch, and others on that side being at the time com- 
paratively short. The northern branches, on the other hand, may 
have been longer. 

In the preceding discussion one important fact has been tacitly 
passed over — the altitude of the Schooley peneplain at the time of its 
development with reference to sea level. The evenness of the plain 
is attributed to planation hj streams, which are able to produce such 
a surface only when they have cut their channels down to the lowest 
possible grade — that is, to a slope which is tangent with the sea level 
or with some other fixed level of discharge. A barrier of hard rock, 
a dam, for instance, may for a time constitute a local level of this sort. 
The Schooley peneplain is so extensive that no local level can have 
sufficed to fix it. Sea level alone could determine the grade common 
to many streams draining thousands of square miles. We reason 
accordingly, from the laws of river action and the extent of the pene- 
plain, that the surface of the land rose gradually from sea level to a 
very moderate altitude only. This was in the Jurassic and Creta- 
ceous periods. 

At the present time the Schooley peneplain in West Virginia lies at 
an altitude of 4,000 feet and its surface has the form of a very broad, 
somewhat uneven dome, sloping from the greatest height in that 
region to a position below the Coastal Plain on the east and to one 
nearly as low in the Mississippi Valley on the west. It is a warped 

a Willis, Bailey, The northern Appalacliigns: Physiography of the United States: National Geo- 
graphic Monographs, vol. 1, No. 6, 1896, p. 190. 



18 THE POTOMAC RTVEB, BARTN. 

surface, raised on a gentle swelling of the underlying rocky crust from 
the low grade at which it was developed to its present form. The 
consequences of elevation where streams flow upon swelling surfaces 
are increased velocity of flow and deeper cutting of the channels. 
Large rivers may do so nearly or quite as rapidly as the mass beneath 
them rises, and may thus maintain a relatively low grade at the bot- 
tom of a canyon; but smaller streams da not keep pace and acquire 
steep profiles. At their headwaters the branches tend to grow as- 
their channels deepen; competition is renewed between opponent 
brooks across a divide ; and if the changed conditions favor one more 
than another the favored one grows accordingly. Furthermore, rivers 
flowing across rock masses which consist of alternate hard and soft 
layers sooner or later cut down to a change of rock, from soft to hard, 
or vice versa, and thus become favored or retarded in the process of 
deepening their channels. The advantages thus gained or lost lead 
to readjustments of watersheds — a kind of natural gerrymander, to 
borrow a political phrase — and to the diversion of streams rrom one 
course to another by the process known as stream captureT 

The growth which the Potomac and its tributaries had in conse- 
quence of the doming of the Schooley peneplain resulted in the exist- 
ing arrangement, which probably differs notably from that of the 
older river. The detailed changes within the Potomac basin escape 
our present knowledge, but they may be more or less closely traced 
by study of the wind gaps, which represent abandoned channels, and 
by investigation of the relations which streams had to the underly- 
ing rocks during the process of sinking their valleys from the level of 
the mountain tops to their present position. 

One fact is, however, so striking that it stands out clearly — the 
great length of the southern tributaries of the Potomac as compared 
with the opponent streams that flow to the James. The headwaters 
of the Shenandoah, for example, in Augusta County, 120 miles from 
the Potomac at Harpers Ferry, are but 25 miles from the James at 
Balcony Falls. A sufficient reason is found in the fact that the 
warped surface of the Schooley peneplain slopes toward the Potomac. 
It is highest above the region where the divide extends between the 
Shenandoah and South River (the opposing tributary of the James) ," 
and the loi\g course of the Shenandoah corresponds with the long 
slope of the old surface. The inference is that the Shenandoah grew 
to its present dimensions because, when it was a much smaller river, 
its fall was increased by the northward tilting of the surface. Having 
a low point of discharge it extended its basin by headwater erosion, 
capturing in succession the heads of those streams which rose in the 
Great Valley and flowed eastward across the Blue Ridge. Their 

a Hayes, C. W., and Campbell, M. R., Geomorphology of the southern Appalucliums: Nat. Goog. 
Mag., vol. 6, 1894, PI. V. ' 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIVER SYSTEM. 19 

abandoned gaps, such as Snickers Gap, remain as evidence of their 
former existence. In Lhe course of fts conquests the Shenandoah 
became opposed by the tributaries of the James, but it continued to 
push the divide southward until an equihbrium was estabhshed 
between the opponents across the area where the Schooley peneplain 
was most elevated. 

The northern tributaries of the Potomac are short as compared 
with the southern branches of the Susquehanna opposed to them. 
They were at a disadvantage, as their fall southward was lessened by 
the rise of the northward slope of the peneplain, and they lost ground 
to the Susquehanna, as the James did to the Potomac. 

The doming of the Schooley peneplain has been a gradual process, 
involving in the Virginias a maximum change of level of about 3,500 
feet. As the uplift progressed the Potomac developed a canyon 
which in due process widened to a valley. Had the uplift been accom- 
plished and ceased long ago, the valleys would be very wide, espe- 
cially along the master stream, and much of the region would be 
eroded to grade. Had the upward movement been continuous, the 
river would exhibit a simple profile and the valleys simple cross sec- 
tions, generally concave upward and broken onlj^ by hard beds of 
rock, which would project above the average slope. Neither of these 
cases corresponds with the facts. There are wide valleys, but within 
them are narrow canyons. The greater width was developed when 
the stream had worked down to grade during a pause in the elevation; 
the narrower channel was sunk when the activity of the river was 
renewed by renewed uplift. Thus it is apparent that warping has 
been an intermittent process. 

At every stage of sculpture through which the surface passed, the 
Potomac and other streams bore to their lower courses the sediment 
taken from upper districts and spread it upon the Coastal Plain or 
delivered it to tidal waters in estuaries or the open sea. The volume 
of sediment and its character, whether coarse or fine, varied with the 
rate of uplift. The strata are thus a record of the river's work and 
indirectly of the height of land. Something may be inferred from 
them regarding the rate of warping. There is, however, another 
factor which complicates the problem — variation of climate, accord- 
ing to which the river's volume, and consequently its ability to carry 
sediment, changed from time to time. Though probabh" subordinate 
to uplift, it is not negligible. Bearing in mind that there are two 
factors which have determined the river's action, the careful student 
may investigate the sediments on the one hand and the valley profiles 
on the other and work out a more detailed history than we now 
possess. At present we are not able to describe the successive stages 
accurately, but certain marked ones stand out clearly with such 



20 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASTN. 

decided character that we can with confidence attribute them to the 
more effective of the two variable factors, the progress of uplift. 

The wide valley of the Shenandoah marks the earliest pause in exca- 
vation of which there is record in the sculptured surface. No gen- 
eral view of it can be had from the river, which, near its mouth, in 
consequence of later cutting, nms 350 feet below the valley level, but 
it may be inspected from any of the numerous low shale hills that 
diversify the former vallej^ plain. It is not difficult, when looking 
down on the river's turbid flood, to realize that it has sunk its chan- 
nel among the hills. It is but another step to recognize that if we 
could restore what the river and its branches have carried away the 
hills would be joined together by the fills and the whole wide valley 
would present a plain. That it once did have such a plain surface, 
which was worked out to the grade of the river, is not questioned, and 
the laws of river action lead directly to the conclusion that the level 
of discharge which the river then had was the level of the plain near 
its mouth. 

From its characteristic development in the Shenandoah Valley the 
valley plain has come to be known as the Shenandoah. It is not, how- 
ever, a local feature, but a surface which is present throughout the 
Appalachian Mountains wherever the rocks are soft shale or the even 
less resistant limestone. 

As the Shenandoah plain is thus a general fact of sculpture, to a 
greater or less extent worked out by all the rivers of the region, its 
grade could have been determined only by a common level of dis- 
charge — sea level — and a plain of such wide development as it exhibits 
could not have been sculptured while the level of discharge was 
changing in course of uplift, but only during a prolonged interval of 
constant level. We divide the uplift and erosion of the mountains 
accordingly into an earlier cycle, during which valleys were sunk 1,000 
to 2,000 feet below the Schooley peneplain in the Potomac region and 
the Shenandoah plain was eroded over all the areas of softer rocks, 
and the later cycles, during which the lower features of the valleys 
have been cut. 

During the earlier or Shenandoah cycle the Potomac and its 
southern branches grew very nearly or quite to their present lengths; 
the northern branches diminished as they gave ground to the Sus- 
quehanna; and thus the competing streams established the water- 
sheds that now exist. North Branch of the Potomac held a very 
advantageous position in opposition to the Avestern streams on the 
plateau, as it reached a relatively low level on soft rocks in a much 
shorter distance than they. It was therefore able to extend such 
branches as Savage River and Crabtree into their territory, and it is 
still doing so. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIVER SYSTEM. 21 

The Shenandoah plain (recently rechristened the Harrisburg pene- 
plain") no longer exists as a continuous surface. Cut by the larger 
rivers and their branches, even out to the smallest, it is represented 
only by hilltops that approach its level. Its altitude near Harpers 
Ferry is about 600 feet above the sea; about the headwaters of the 
Shenandoah it is 1,200 feet. Between it and the channel of the 
river, 200 to 350 feet below, are sculptured the terraces and slopes 
of later development. Among these is a lower valley level, about 
100 feet below the Shenandoah plain, which apparently corresponds 
to a surface that extends about Somerville, N. J., and is known as 
the Somerville peneplain. ^ It is eroded on the limestones or very 
soft Triassic sandstones and represents a shorter pause in the progress 
of uplift than did the Shenandoah. 

The Shenandoah and Somerville plains are not everywhere dis- 
tinguishable one from the other, being represented in some places by 
one extensive surface. Toward the close of their development, in 
the epoch known to geologists as the late Tertiary or Pliocene, they 
became covered by a widespread deposit of gravel and loam, which 
is called the Lafayette formation. 

The Lafayette covers the outer slopes from the Appalachian Moun- 
tains toward the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and the Mississippi Valley 
with an almost continuous mantle. It is represented in the dis- 
tricts of the Appalachian Ranges and Allegheny Plateaus by deposits 
of gravel that now cap terraces and hills. It is composed through- 
out of alluvial material, carried, sorted, and deposited by streams in 
the first instance and to some extent rearranged by marine waters 
about the margins. What part is fiuviatile and what part marine is 
to be determined only by further studies; but it is probable that the 
activity of rivers in spreading the material has been underestimated 
and that the degree of marine submergence has been correspondingly 
overestimated. The Potomac, like other rivers of the Lafayette 
epoch, flowed in a wide alluvial plain, which coalesced with those 
of adjacent rivers in the lower courses. 

The epoch of low, level, and wide-spreading plains was followed by 
one during which the land was again elevated and the rivers incised 
the channels they had assumed. It is probable that the elevation 
was not constant, especially in the outer Coastal Plain, for there is 
evidence that the lower valleys were at times submerged after having 
been eroded. '^ Other influences were, however, almost if not quite 
as important. It was the time called Pleistocene, the time of the 

"Campbell, M. R., Geographic dvelopment cf iiorthrrn Pennsylvania and southern New York; 
Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 14, 19r,3, pp. 277-286. 

i* Davis, W. M., and Wood, J. W., jr., Geogi'aphic dev?lopmeiit o£ northern New Jcrsay: Proe. 
Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 24, 1890, pp. 391-392. 

cDarton, N. H., Washington folio: Geologic atla.s U. S., folio 70, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1901. 



22 THE POTOMAC RTVER BASIN". 

glacial and interglacial epochs, when the climate varied from tem- 
perate to semiarctic and back to temperate again ; the rivers changed 
their activities accordingly and alternately cut their channels or par- 
tially filled them. The minor gorges that characterize all the valleys, 
the cascades that beautify the rivers, and the wide rocky shallows 
that are peculiar features in streams so large as the Potomac and Sus- 
quehanna resulted from these activities, as did also the later gravel 
and silt deposits constituting the Columbia formation, which are 
extensively spread upon terraces along the Potomac, especially in the 
vicinity of Washington. 

As we approach the present, the seeming importance of details 
increases. The deposition of the Columbia formation, for example, 
marks an episode which seems to compare with the erosion of the old 
Permian mountains, though it is indeed a relatively insignificant fact. 
Bvit every detail of the river's course or profile or deposits is significant 
of some past circumstance, if we can but imderstand. 

Old as the Potomac is and varied as have been the activities affect- 
ing its development, a new agent has appeared in its watershed within 
the last three hundred years and is acting as the chill climate of the 
ice age acted to denude the surface and load the river with sediment. 
Throughout the Tertiary age, when the Schooley peneplain was cut 
away, when the Shenandoah plain was graded, and when the i:iner 
canyons were sculptured, the region constantly bore a luxuriant 
deciduous forest, in which the tulip tree and the magnolia appeared 
at an early date and the more modern oaks and maples and many 
others found place later. With the advent of the ice age the climate 
changed from semitropic to temperate, and then to that of the Bar- 
ren Grounds of the Far North to-day. Vegetation died ; the surface 
was bared; rain or waters from melting snow swept away the frost- 
loosened earth; winds carried the dust in eddying clouds; the rivers 
were surcharged with sediment, and the Columbia deposits resulted. 
The new agent in his own peculiar way is preparing another such 
deposit. He has bared the surface almost as effectually as did the 
blasts of the ice age, but with an ax only, and he is causmg a new 
record to be made in the hills that are scored with gullies and in the 
lowlands that are buried beneath deposits of gravel and mud. 

The Potomac's long history has been influenced by great forces — 
the internal energy of the earth, that has shaped the surface on which 
the river grew; the attraction of gravitation, that has caused tlie 
river to flow; the external force of the sun, that has set the atmos- 
pheric agents to work. They were sometimes conservative, some- 
times destructive. The new force has demonstrated his capacity to 
destroy; in his own interest he needs to acquire the art to protect. 
The future of the Potomac and the fitness of its watershed to be a 
home for man depend on his intelligent use of what the ages have 
fashioned. 



STREAM FLOW IN THE POTOMAC BASIN. 



By R. H. Bolster. 



IIS^TRODUCTION. 

METHODS OF WORK. 
FIELD METHODS. 

The methods by which the records of stream discharge have been 
inade are those in common use in the United States Geological Sur- 
vey. They are described in detail in Water-Supply and Irrigation 
Papers Nos. 94 and 95 and briefly in the annual progress reports 
for 1904 to 1906. An outline of the method used in the Potomac 
River drainage basin is given below, to assist in making clear the 
data which follow. 

A gage for observing the stage of the river is established at a 
bridge or other place where the record of flow is to be made. This 
gage is a vertical staff or some other device by which the height of 
water may be observed, and is read each day by a person living 
near by. The average of the gage readings, if more than one, in any 
day is used as the mean gage height for that day. 

At various stages of the river one of the hydrographers of the 
Survey visits the station and measures with a current meter the 
amount of water flowing. This meter is primarily an instrument for 
measuring the velocity of moving water, and consists essentially of 
a wheel with vanes, wliich may be shaped like those of a windmill 
or of a screw, or with cups like those of an anemometer, the neces- 
sary qualification being that moving water shall readily cause the 
wheel of the meter to turn. Each meter is rated before use. The 
rating is done by moving the meter thi'ough still water at various 
observed speeds to determine the relation between the velocity with 
wliich the meter moves through the water and the revolutions of 
the wheel. This relation having been determined, the meter is used 
in running water, the revolutions per unit of time noted, and the 
velocity of the water computed. 

Observations of depth of water are also made, and from them the 
area in cross section of each portion of the stream is computed ; each 

23 



24 TPIE POTOMAC KIVER BASTN. 

partial area multiplied by the mean velocity of that area gives a 
];)artial discharge. The sum of the partial discharges is the total dis- 
charge of the stream. 

OFFICE METHODS. 

Measurements of flow as outlined above are made covering a con- 
siderable range of gage height. The;y are then plotted on coordinate 
paper, with gage heights for ordinates and discharges for abscissas, 
and a smooth curve, called the rating curve, is drawTi through the 
points. From this curve a rating table is made which shows the dis- 
charge of the stream for any gage height. 

The data necessary for the construction of a rating table for a 
gaging station as just stated are the reaults of the discharge measure- 
ments, wliich include the record of stage of the river at the time of 
measurement, the area of the cross section, the mean velocity of the 
current and the quantity of water flowing; and a thorough knowl- 
edge of the conditions at and in the vicinity of the station. 

The construction of the rating table depends on the following laws 
of flow for open permanent channels: (1) the discharge will remain 
constant so long as the conditions at and near the gaging station 
remain constant; (2) the change of slope due to the rise and fall of 
the stream being neglected, the discharge will be the same whenever 
the stream is at a given stage; (3) the discharge is a function of, 
and increases gradually with, the stage. 

The plotting of results of the various discharge measurements, 
using gage heights as ordinates and discharge, mean velocity, and 
area as abscissas, will define curves which show the discharge, mean 
velocity, and area corresponding to any gage height. For the devel- 
opment of these curves there should be, therefore, a sufficient number 
of discharge measurements to cover the range of the stage of the 
stream. Fig. 1 shows a typical rating curve with its corresponding 
mean velocity and area curves. 

As the discharge is the product of two factors, the area and the 
mean velocity, any change in either factor alone will produce a cor- 
responding change in the discharge. Their curves are therefore con- 
structed in order to study each independently of the other. , 

The area curve can be definitely determined from accurate sound- 
ings extending to the limits of high water. It is always concave 
toward the horizontal axis or on a straight line unless the banks of 
the stream are overhanging. 

The form of the mean velocity curve depends chiefly on the sur- 
face slope, the roughness of the bed, and the cross section of the 
stream. Of these the slope is the principal factor. In accordance 
with the relative change of these factors the curve may be either a 
straight line, a curve convex or concave toward either axis, or a 



STREAM FLOW. 



25 



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26 THE POTOMAC ElVEK BASIN. 

combination of the tliree. From careful study of the conditions at 
any gaging st.ation the form which the vertical velocity curve will 
take can be predicted, and it may be extended with reasonable cer- 
tainty to stages beyond the limits of actual measurements. It is 
used principally in connection with the area curve in locating errors 
in discharge measurements and in constructing the rating table. 

The discharge curve is defiined primarily by the measurements of 
discharge, which are studied and weighted in accordance with the 
local conditions existing at the time of each measurement. The curve 
may, however, be best located between and beyond the measurements 
by means of the curves of area and mean velocity. This curve under 
normal conditions is concave toward the horizontal axis and is gen- 
erally parabolic in form. 

In the preparation of the rating table the discharge for each tenth 
on the gage is taken from the curve. The differences between suc- 
cessive discharges are then taken and adjusted according to the law 
that they shall either be constant or increasing. 

DEFINITIONS. 

The volume of water flowing in a stream, the "run-off," is ex- 
pressed in various terms, each of which is associated with a certain 
class of work. These terms may be divided into two classes : Those 
which represent a rate of flow, as second-foot, gallons per minute, 
and run-off in second-feet per square mile; and those which repre- 
sent actual quantities of water, as run-off in depth in inches. They 
may be defined as follows : 

"Second-foot" is an abbreviation for cubic foot per second, and is 
the rate of discharge of water flowmg in a stream 1 foot wide 1 foot 
deep at the rate of 1 foot per second. It is generally used as a fun- 
damental unit from which the others are computed. 

"Gallons per minute" is generally iised in connection with pump- 
ing and city water supply. 

"Second-feet per square mile" is the average number of cubic feet 
of water flowing per second from each square niile of area drained, 
on the assumption that the run-off is distributed uniformly both as 
regards time and area. 

"Run-off in inches" is the depth to which the drainage area would 
be covered if all the water flowing from it in a given period were 
conserved and uniformly distributed over the surface. It is used for 
comparing run-off with rainfall, which is usually expressed in depth 
in inches. 



STREAM FLOW. 27 



EXPLANATION OF TABLES. 

For each regular station are given, as far as available, the follow- 
ing data: 

1. Description of station. 

2. List of discharge measurements. 

3. Gage-height tables. 

4. Rating tables. 

5. Tables of estimated monthly and yearly discharges, run-off, and 
precipitation, based on all the facts available to date. 

The descriptions of stations give such general information about 
the locality and equipment as would enable the reader to find and use 
the station, and, as far as possible, a complete history of all the 
changes that have occurred since the establishment of the station 
that would affect the use of the data collected. They also give state- 
ments concerning the probable percentage of error of the estimates. 
The probable errors have been based principally on the errors of the 
discharge measurements with reference to the rating curves. 

The discharge-measurement table gives the results of the discharge 
measurements made during each year, and includes the date, the gage 
height, and the discharge in second-feet. 

The tables of daily gage heights give for each day the height of the 
surface of the river above the zero of gage, as found from the mean 
of the gage readings taken on that day. 

The rating tables give discharges in second-feet corresponding to 
each stage of the river as given by the gage heights and statements 
concerning the measurements on which it has been based and the por- 
tion of the curve which is well defined. 

In the tables of estimated monthly discharges the column headed 
"Maximum" gives the mean flow for the day when the mean gage 
height was highest; this is the flow as given in the rating table for 
that mean gage height. As the gage height is the mean for the day, 
there might have been short periods when the water was higher and 
the corresponding discharge larger than given in this column. Like- 
wise in the column headed "Minimum," the quantity given is the 
mean flow for the day when the mean gage height was lowest. The 
column headed "Mean" is the average flow for each second during the 
month. 

On this, the computations for the columns under the general head- 
ing "Run-off" are based. The mean precipitation, which has been 
entered in the column headed "Precipitation in inches," for gaging 
stations which have been maintained for a series of years has been 
determined from the United States Weather Bureau records. The 
mean precipitation has been determined from well-distributed rain- 
fall stations in the drainage basin above the gaging station.- 
IRR 192—07 3 . _ 



28 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

From the precipitation in inches and the run-off in depth in inches 
the run-off in per cent of precipitation has been determined, also the 
loss of precipitation in inches or the amount which for several causes 
does not flow past the gaging section. 

ACCURACY OF ESTIMATES OF STREAM FLOW. 

The description of each gaging station is followed by a statement 
indicating the probable percentage of error in the values for mean 
monthly flow. This percentage is only approximate, as no refinement 
has been attempted in its determination. The probable errors have 
been based principally on the errors of the discharge measurements 
with reference to the rating curves and the known conditions of the 
flow in the vicinity of the gaging section. It is impossible to esti- 
mate closely the errors caused by temporary or gradual changes in the 
conditions of flow, unreliability or ignorance of the observers, changes 
in wire or chain length, or ice conditions. 

Errors due to changes in conditions of flow are relatively small for 
the large streams except at a few stations. On small streams, how- 
ever, a temporary obstruction at or below the gaging section, causing 
a change in area of cross section or in velocity of the current, may 
cause large errors in daily estimates of discharge. These changes as 
a rule do not occur frequently and are usually of a temporary char- 
acter; for example, the lodging of driftwood on the controlling point 
below the gage reduces the velocity, and hence the discharge for a 
given gage height. A few days later a sudden rise in the stream may 
clear the chamiel and restore normal flow. Unless the hydrographer 
has chanced to make a measurement of discharge during the period of 
abnormal conditions, an error has been introduced into the monthly 
estimates. Owing to the limited appropriation for stream gaging and 
the large number and wide separation of the gaging stations, it is 
impossible for the hydrographers to make measurements frequently 
enough to eliminate all errors arising from these abnormal conditions. 
It has further been found impracticable to so instruct the observers 
that thej will correctly report unusual conditions. 

Gradual changes in the conditions which afl'ect the flow can be esti- 
mated and corrected more readily than temporary changes. Here 
again the hydrographer is often handicapped by inability to make 
sufficient measurements to show properly the varying rate of change 
in channel conditions. In such cases the estimates are obtained 
either by an indirect method which is based on the assumption of a 
constant rate of change from day to day between measurements or by 
a series of rating curves. 

Observers are as a rule conscientious fn reading the gages, but with 
few exceptions they are wholly unfamiliar with engineering work of 
any description. The observers' records, however, are examined and 



STREAM flow: ACCURACY OF ESTIMATES. 29 

checked by hydrographers, and large errors are thus ehminated. The 
observers are usually instructed to read the gage to the nearest tenth 
or half tenth of a foot twice each day, and at times of floods several 
times a da}^ At high and medium stages the errors in reading the 
gage are thus negligible; but at low stages, when a difference of one 
or two hundredths in the stage of the river or slight fluctuations during 
the day cause errors of several per cent it is evident that the regular 
method of observation is inadequate. Hence, monthly minimums 
may be considerably in error; but in general the monthly means for 
months of low flow are good, owing to the tendency of positive and 
negative errors to oifset each other. 

Prior to the fall of 1903 wire gages were used at manj^ of the stations 
for observing the stage of the river. The correct length of gages of 
this type was difficult to maintain on account of the stretching of 
the wire. Small changes of length took place frequently, making 
necessary the application of corrections to the observed gage heights 
at the station. In some instances the magnitude of the corrections 
and the time over which they should have been applied were not 
recorded, and the proper adjustments are therefore somewhat in 
doubt. In such instances, if the data warranted it, the gage heights 
were corrected by the amount that the measurements of the period 
in question were vertically above or below the curve. It is believed 
that by the use of corrected gage heights reasonably accurate esti- 
mates of discharge have been made for all the rivers described. 

The extent of frozen periods at many of the stations is very uncer- 
tain. All ice notes are from observers' gage-height records, but as 
the observers' notes prior to 1904 are very incomplete their absence 
does not always impty open-channel conditions. Estimates for ice 
periods have been made as if open-channel conditions existed except 
as noted. This method involves errors for the relatively short ice 
periods of a few to 40 per cent. 

The errors which are described above are not to be considered as 
applying to every station. They have been fully described here in 
order to call to the attention of the reader the possible sources of 
error and the limitations of engineering work of this land. Although 
the resulting error may seem large, it should be remembered that 
stream-gaging data and estimates of flow are used mainly as a basis 
for predicting the maxinmm, minimum, and naean discharge which 
may be expected in future years. Since the mean annual flow of a 
stream may be several times larger one year than it is the next, it is 
evident that for records of short duration an estimate which involves 
an error as great as 50 per cent is not without value. On the other 
hand, it is a waste of money and needless refinement — indeed, vir- 
tually impossible — to obtain estimates much closer than 3 per cent 
in ordinary current-meter work. 



30 THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIN. 

Special emphasis is laid on the fact that the value of stream-gaging 
data is determined mainly by the number of years during which the 
record has been maintained and not so much by the degree of accuracy 
of the discharge for each year. That is, the longer the record the 
more nearly does it indicate the maximum, minimum, and mean flow 
which may be expected in the future. 

Monthly means which are stated in the descriptions to be within 
5 per cent of the true flow are considered to be very good, and those 
within 10 per cent are considered close enough for all practical pur- 
poses. Errors in estimates which are greater than 15 per cent are 
due either to an insufficient number of measurements, or to poor 
natural conditions which could not be avoided, or to changes at the 
gaging station which could not be foreseen at the time of its estab- 
lishment. The larger errors in dady discharge values occur at the 
highest stages, which continue only for a few days, and hence the 
effect on the accuracy of the monthly mean is not so great as might 
at first appear. Also by far the greater number of gage heights are 
for medium stages, at which the error of the rating curve is seldom 
as great as 10 per cent and is usually much less than 5 per cent. 
The errors in the daily discharge values are often considerable, owing 
to fluctuation of the river height. The values for the maximum 
and the minimum flows for the month may also contain an addi- 
tional error, because they are based on the extreme low or high part 
ot the rating curve, which is usually not so well defined as the inter- 
mediate portion. In the case of the mean monthly flow, for wliich 
the estimates of accuracy are made, the error is reduced to a very 
small amount by reason of the compensation of variable negative 
and positive errors. 

COMPARISONS OF FLOW. 

The figures in the following table have been brought together for 
the purpose of comparing the flow from a partial drainage area with 
the flow from the total drainage area over a relatively long period 
of time. 

The totals show that the ratio of the run-off from the tributaries 
to the run-off from the total basin is 6 per cent greater than the ratio 
of their respective drainage areas. This is entirely reasonable and 
just what should be expected, for during medium and especially dur- 
ing high stages the run-off is greater on the tributaries, owing to 
somewhat greater rainfall and more precipitate slopes. 

In the comparison of the run-off from month to month it should 
be remembered that there is a considerable time -interval between 
the stations. For example, a flood on the tributaries occurring at 
the end of a month does not reach the Point of Rocks station until 
the following month. It is believed that this accounts for most of 
the larger deviations of discharge from the normal for the individual 
months. 



STREAM FLOW: COMPAEISONS. 



31 



Mean montMy discharge in second-feet, Potomac River hasin. 



Date. 





South 




Potomac 

River at 

Point of 

Roclvs.Md. 


Branch 
Potomac 
Kiver near 
Spring- 
field, W. 
Va. 


Shenan- 
doah 
River at 
' Millville, 
W. Vii. 


4,669 


336 


2,249 


3,212 


271 


1,454 


2,175 


206 


961 


a 2, 926 


286 


927 


a 7, 287 


1,009 




a 17, 480 


1,004 
1,451 
1,660 




11,170 
7, -.06 




2,191 


9,362 


2,143 


2,779 


10, 160 


1,121 


2,430 


4,510 


568 


1,930 


2,39^ 


238 


1,096 


;,592 


123 


620 


1,164 


81 


^21 


1,340 


80 


528 


2,201 


296 


780 


OS, 626 


821 


2,065 


5,625 


831 


1,684 


23, 480 


4,793 


4, ,387 


6,581 


1,015 


1,945 


4,493 


1,744 


1,382 


6,579 


1,948 


2,552 


10, 190 


1,673 


2,994 


5,830 


854 


1,557 


3,205 


228 


810 


2,888 


229 


640 


2,267 


190 


624 


10, 640 


2,298 


2,336 


14,990 


3,321 


3,719 


5,116 


664 


1, 643 


15,900 


5.076 


3,888 


22, 440 


4,538 


4,464 


5,538 


1,085 


1,803 


7,007 


770 


2,895 



North 
Branch 
Potomac 
River at 
Piedmont, 
W. Va. 



Total, 
exclusive 
of Point 
of Rocks. 



Ratio of 
discharge 
of tribu- 
taries to 
that of 
main 
stream at 
Point of 
Rocks. 



September. 

October 

November . 
December.. 



1903. 



January... 
February.. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. 
October... 
November . 
December . . 



1904. 



January. . . 
February.. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. 
October. . . 
November. 
December . . 



1905. 



January. . . 
February., 

MarcTi 

April 

May 

June 

Mean ratio 



1906. 



90 
103 
134 
193 



643 

795 

1,433 

937 

792 

.392 

160 

37 

17 

28 

34 

243 



360 
232 
2,484 
585 
496 
588 
653 
376 
195 
348 
267 
815 



1,255 

220 

1,161 

2,013 

323 

413 



2,675 
1,828 
1,301 
1,406 



0.57 
.57 
.60 
.48 



4,788 

5,714 

3,943 

2,658 

1,371 

760 

630 

642 

1,319 



3,246 
2,747 
11,664 
3,545 
3,622 
5,088 
5, ,320 
2,787 
1,233 
1,217 
1,081 
5,449 



8,295 
2,527 
10, 125 
11,015 
3,211 
4,078 



Ratio of tributary drainage areas to drainage area above Point of.Rocks. 



.65 
.61 
.39 
.59 

.57 
.48 
.54 
.48 
.60 



.55 
.49 
.64 
.49 
.58 
.58 
6.537 
6.605 



o Ice conditions. 



i September, 1903, to March, 1904, not included. 



As a practical application of such comparisons as have been given 
above, the following may be of interest and value. 

1 . The observers' gage heights for the Point of Rocks station from 
January 1 to June 18, 1896, were corrected 0.7 by the hydrographer 
at that time; 0.4 was due to change of datum, but there are no data 
available to show why the correction for the remaining 0.3 was made. 
There has been a good deal of doubt in the mind of the writer whether 
it should have been made at all. The following comparisons 
strengthen this doubt still further. The mean daily discharge for 
the total period from January 1 to February 29 and from May 1 1 to 
June 17, 1896," was found at all stations, except that an allow- 
ance of four days was made for flow from Cumberland and Spring- 



o.No record at Point of Rooks March 1 to May 10, 1896. 



32 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

field to Point of Rocks. Tlie estimate of the discharge at the Spring- 
field station for May and June, during wliich there was no record 
was based on a comparison of Springfield and Millville estimates 
from May, 1895, to February, 1896, inclusive. 

Discharge at various stations, January 1 to February 29 and May 11 to June 17, 1896. 

Cumberland second-feet. . 882 

Millville do 2, 635 

Springfield do 725 

4,242 

Mean daily discharge at Point of Rocks, 0.7 correction being used do 5, 910 

Ratio of discharge at upper stations to that at Point of Rocks (0.7 correc- 
tion) 72 

Ratio of drainage area at upj^er stations to that of Point of Rocks .55 

If the 0.3 correction had not been made the approximate mean 
daily discharge for the Point of Rocks station would have been 7,270 
second-feet and the ratio of discharge of the upper stations to Point 
of Rocks would have been .58. 

2. During 1897 the gage length was greatly in error, the final 
error recorded in January, 1898, being 1.8 feet. These gage heights 
were corrected by varying amounts for several periods. The amounts 
of the corrections were based on the gage-height distance that the 
several measurements of 1897 plotted above or below the rating 
curve. That this gave essentially correct results for the year is borne 
out by the following figures: 

Discharge at various stations, December 28, 1896, to November £i, 1897. 

Mean daily discharge at Cumberland December 28, a 1896, to November 20, 

1897 second-feet. . 1, 086 

Mean daily discharge at Millville January 1 to November 24, 1897 do 3, 05S 

Total , 4, 144 

Mean daily discharge at Point of Rocks January 1 to November 24, 

1897 do 11, 175 

Ratio of discharge at upper stations to that at Point of Rocks .37 

Ratio of drainage area at upper stations to that at Point of Rocks 40 

The ratio of discharge is thus about 92 per cent of that of the drain- 
age area. An allowance of 20,000 second-feet per day was made for 
omitted gage heights at Millville February 7, 8, and 9. There is 
every reason to believe that about 30,000 second-feet each day should 
also have been added for February 23 and 24, first, because it was 
known that the observer recorded gage heights above the top of the 
10-foot gage on those days as 10.0 feet, and second, because of the flood 
at Point of Rocks the latter part of February, which shows a dis- 
crepancy of about this amount by a comparison of the relative drain- 
age basins. If this is done the difference of the ratios is about 4 

o Four days allowed fca- flow at Cumberland to reach Point of Kocks. 



STEEAM flow: RAINFALL. 33 

per cent. However, this still leaves a negative error of approxi- 
Inately 10 per cent, since the ratio of the discharges should be about 
6 per cent greater than that of the drainage areas, according to the 
comparisons presented in the table (p. 31). 

RAIlSTFAIiL. 

Probably no phenomenon has so important a bearing on the 
development of the country as rainfall. A study of tliis phenomenon, 
although an essential part of the hydrography of a district, is difficult, 
owing to the numerous and various conditions which regulate it. 
The fluctuations of both the yearly and monthly precipitation are 
great, and it is only by having a long series of records at man}^ well- 
distributed points over an area that even a fair estimate of the con- 
ditions prevailing may be made. 

The United States Weather B.ureau has for a number of years regu- 
larly maintained rainfall stations well distributed throughout the 
United States. On the data collected at about 40 such stations, 
located either in or near the Potomac drainage basin, the accompany- 
ing discussion, tables, and map have been based. 

The map (PI. I, pocket) shows, by means of lines of equal rainfall, 
the average annual distribution of precipitation over the basin of the 
Potomac during the ten years from 1896 to 1905. 

At many of the stations the data were missing for some portions 
of the period, and in order to complete the records for such stations 
the missing values were obtained by comparison with other near-by 
stations by the method of interpolation and extrapolation. This is 
made possible by the fact that the ratio between the precipitation at 
two adjacent stations remains fairly constant, although there is con- 
siderable variation in the actual amounts. 

Since the prevailing wind directions are as important as the topo- 
graphic surroundings in determining the precipitation at any given 
pair of stations, it seemed desirable to compute the ratios for many 
of the individual months as well as for the whole year. This pro- 
ceeding involved more labor than would have been required to deter- 
mine the ratios for whole years only; but it seems to have increased 
the accuracy of the results, especially in those cases where an inter- 
polation of only a few months was required to fill out an otherwise 
complete series. This calculation of monthly ratios also makes it 
possible to obtain an approximately true annual ratio for two sta- 
tions, one of which has many scattered monthly records, but few or no 
complete annual records. Another valuable feature of these ratios 
is that they make it possible to readily detect and eliminate errors 
in the rainfall records due to changes in gage exposure or to errors in 
recording or computing. This is illustrated by the ratios far the pair 



34 



THE POTOMAC EnrER BASIN. 



of stations, Point of Rocks and Harpers Ferry, where an excessive 
ratio of 7.43 was found for October, 1895, as against an average ratio 
of 0.98 for that month. 

In preparing the map of the Potomac basin the annual means as 
given on pages 34 to 40 were first plotted; then with the aid of sev- 
eral approximate means not given on the map, all points having the 
same precipitation were connected by meandering lines. Inspection 
shows that these lines, called "isohyets," follow closely the surface 
contours of the base map, while it will at once strike the reader that 
nearly all the stations are located in the valleys. Onlj a few stations 
in western Maryland and one station on the Blue Ridge of Virginia 
(Mount Weather) can be classed as mountain stations. Consequently 
we have at present no sufficient basis for calculating /he rate of 
increase of precipitation ■wdth altitude in this basin. On this account 
also the course of the isohyet of 40 inches is, ^vith few exceptions, 
to be regarded as hypothetical, although wherever possible it has 
been made to accord with such scanty and imperfect records as are 
obtainable. 

Although the net of rainfall stations is not so finely meshed as is 
desirable for an area of the importance of the Potomac basin, 5^et the 
map shows distinctly that the rainfall of the lowlands decreases 
upstream from Washington. The lower-lying portions of the valley 
of the Shenandoah and its continuation, the Cumberland Valley of 
Maryland and Pennsylvania, were characterized by an annual fall of 
35 to 40 inches of rain and melted snow. Generally the smaller 
amount is found along the Potomac itself, but the driest portion of 
the great valley lies in that section drained by Opequon Creek. 

There seems to have been an exception to the rule just stated about 
the headwaters of South Branch of the Potomac. In that region 
there is a considerable area, inclosed by the isohyet of 35 inches, 
which has a rainfall of less than that amount. The two stations 
inclosed by the curve show amounts of 33.7 and 34.7 inches. This 
is apparenth'' the dryest portion of the whole Potomac basin and, to 
judge from the neighboring portions of other river basins, it is but a 
portion of a relatively arid district which embraces the whole valley 
occupied by Bull Pasture River and South Branch of the Potomac. 

Mean precipitation, in inches, at stations in drainage basin of Potomac River. 

BACHMAN VALLEY, MD., ALTITUDE SCO FEET. 





Jail. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Annual. 


1896-1900 


2.77 
4.G5 


5.92 
4.17 


5.46 
6.30 


2.80 
4.21 


6.26 
3.57 


3.67 
6.87 


4.01 

7.76 


3.92 
7.35 


.3.19 
4.93 


3.01 
5.26 


5.16 
02.51 


3.36 
6.28 


49.56 


1901-1905 


63. 93 


10-year mean. . . 


3.70 


5.04 


5.88 


3.50 


4.91 


5. 27 


,5.88 


5.63 


4.06 


4.13 


3.83 


4.82 


56.74 
1 



a 1 year interpolated, liased on observations at Taneytown. 



STREAM flow: RAINFALL. 



35 



Mean precipitation at stations in drainage basin of Potomac River — Continued. 

BAYARD, W. VA., ALTITUDE 2,500 FEET. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Deo. 


Annual. 


1896-1900 


























a [45. 02[ 


1901 1905 


























b 43. 84 























































































BOETTCHERVILLE, MD., ALTITUDE 780 FEET. 



1896-1900 


1.96 
2.39 


2.59 
2.48 


4.05 
3.55 


1.86 
3.86 


4.21 

3.72 


3.41 
3.71 


3.60 
3.50 


2.58 
4.91 


3.01 

L95 


2.35 
2.43 


3.07 
L49 


1.99 
3.18 


34.73 


1901-1905 


37.18 






10-year mean. . . 


2.17 


2.53 


3.80 


2.86 


3.96 


3.56 


3.55 


3.74 


2.48 


2.39 


2.28 


2.58 


35. 95 



BURLINGTON, W. VA., ALTITUDE 875 FEET. 



1896-1900 


2.15 
2.53 


3.85 
2.21 


3.58 
3.11 


01.99 
3.04 


4.30 
3.87 


2.94 
4.21 


4.05 
4.23 


2.93 
4.25 


3.08 


2.14 


2.91 
L52 


2.10 
3.39 


36.05 


1901-1905 . . . 


2.21 


2.08 


36.67 






lO-year mean. . . 


2.34 


3.03 


3.34 


2.51 


4.08 


3.57 


4.14 


3.59 


2.64 


2.11 


2.21 


2.74 


.36. 36 



CHAMBERSBURG, PA., ALTITUDE 1,000 FEET. 



1896-1900. 



1. 86 3. 31 4. 06 1. 65 4. 20 3. 57 3. 62 4. 75 2. 44 2. 55 3. 56 1. 70 37. 28 



CHEWSVILLE, MD., ALTITUDE 530 FEET. 



1896-1900 


























dSl. 62 


1901-1905 


2.88 


1.91 


2.75 


3.09 


3.27 


5.50 


5.36 


3.39 


2.21 


2.90 


1.76 


2.90 


37.94 


10-year mean. 


























37. 78 































CLEARSPRING, MD., ALTITUDE 500 FEET. 



1896-1900 


























^37. 83 


1901-1905 


3.52 


2.21 


/3.89 


(73.49 


3. .55 


3.75 


4.86 


3.90 


2.88 


2.60 


L73 


4.37 


40. 65 
































39.24 































CUMBERLAND, MD., ALTITUDE 700 FEET. 



1896-1900 . . 


2.51 
2.70 


3.32 
2.13 


3.91 
3.14 


2.06 
3.48 


4.06 
2.46 


3.02 
3. .52 


3.11 
3.13 


2.60 
3.80 


2.77 
1.94 


2.61 
2.11 


3.41 
1.35 


2.29 
3.41 


35. 90 


1901-1905 


33.20 






10-year mean. . . 


2.60 


2.72 


3.52 


2.77 


3.26 


3.27 


3.12 


3.20 


2.35 


2.36 


2.38 


2.85 


34.55 



DALE ENTERPRISE, VA., ALTITUDE 1,350 FEET. 



1896-1900 


2.15 
2.86 


.3.62 
2.40 


3.54 
3.51 


1.74 
2. 95 


3.02 
3.61 


4.55 

7.47 


4.54 
5.54 


3.28 
4.63 


3.62 
2.48 


2.86 
2.24 


2.51 
1.43 


1.89 
3.44 


37.92 


1901-1905 


42.58 






10-year mean. . . 


2.50 


3.01 


3.52 


2.34 


3.61 


6.01 


5.04 


3.95 


3.05 


2.55 


L97 


2.66 


40.25 



15 years interpolated, based on observations at Westernport. 

l> 2 years interpolated, based on observations at Westernport. 

c 1 year interpolated, based on observations at Romney. 

d2h years interpolated, based on observations at ITagerstown. 

«3 years 5 months interpolated, based on observations at Greenspring Furnace. 

/2 years interpolated, based on observations at Greenspring Furnace. 

s 1 year interpolated, based on observation.s at Greenspring Furnace. 



36 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Mean precipitation at stations in drainage basin of Potomac River — Continued. 

DEER PARK, MD., ALTITUDE 2,457 FEET. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Annual. 


1896-1900 


3.14 
4.29 


3.73 
a3.16 


4.56 
62.42 


2.42 
3.95 


4.84 
4.58 


4.38 
5.26 


5.81 
4.65 


3.86 
03.14 


2.46 
1.74 


1.97 
2.66 


3.56 
a2.16 


3.37 
a3.67 


44. 10 


1901-1905 


41 70 






10-year mean. . . 


3.71 


3.44 


3.47 


3.18 


4.71 


4.82 


5.23 


3. .50 


2.10 


2.31 


2.86 


3.52 


42.90 



DISTRIBUTING RESERVOIR, D. C, ALTITUDE 120 FEET. 



1896-1900 . . 


2.26 
C3.05 


4.26 
C2.00 


2.84 
3.68 


1.64 
3.31 


3.44 
2.87 


2.71 
3.91 


3.32 

5.47 


3.83 

4.17 


2.82 
2.86 


2.00 
3.05 


2.44 
1.62 


C2.06 
C4.40 


33.64 


1901-1905 


40.42 






10-year mean. . . 


2.65 


3.13 


3.17 


1.65 


3.10 


3.31 


4.39 


4.00 


2.84 


2.52 


2.03 


3.23 


37.03 







FREDERICK 


, MD. 


, ALTITUDE 345 FEET. 








1896-1900 


2.52 
3.31 


4.47 
2.74 


3.69 
3.81 


1.63 
3.33 


3.09 
2.78 


2.61 
2.85 


4.06 
5.17 


2.92 

4.28 


2.39 
2.69 


2.71 
2.85 


3.36 
1.98 


2.49 
4.35 


35.99 


1901-1905 


43.17 


10-year mean. . . 


2.91 


3.60 


3.80 


2.48 


2.93 


4.23 


4.61 


3.60 


2.54 


2.78 


2.67 


3.42 


39.58 



GETTYSBURG, PA. 



1896-1900 


























d44. 75 


1891-1905 


























e4fi. 76 






























10-year mean. 


























45.75 































GRANTSVILLE, MD., ALTITUDE 2,400 FEET. 



1896-1900 


3.21 
3.51 


4.30 
2.98 


5.00 
3.83 


2.53 
3.79 


4.05 
3.96 


3_84 
4 24 


6.57 
3.50 


3.59 
3.32 


2.85 
2.12 


2.56 
2.63 


4 16 
1.78 


2.88 
411 


45.59 


1901-1905 


39.81 






10-year mean. . . 


3.36 


3.64 


4.41 


3.16 


4.00 


4.05 


5.03 


3.45 


2.48 


2.59 


2.97 


3.49 


42.70 



GREAT FALLS, MD., ALTITUDE 150 FEET. 



1896-1900 


2.46 
2.89 


4 35 
2.20 


3.04 
3.65 


1.68 
3.27 


3.45 
2.34 


2.19 
4 84 


3.52 
6.29 


2.73 
3.24 


2.71 1.90 
3. 10 1 3. 39 


2.91 
1.47 


1.91 

/4ei 


32.87 


1901-1905 


41.32 






10-year mean. . . 


2.67 


3.27 


3.34 


2.47 


2.84 


3.51 


4 90 


2.98 


2. 90 2. 64 


2.19 


3.26 


37.09 



GREENSPRING FURNACE, MD., ALTITUDE 500 FEET. 



1896-1900. 
1901-1905. 



10-year mean. . 



2.65 
2.98 



S3. 80 
2.27 



2.81 



3.03 



3.43 

3.18 



3.30 



1.63 
3.32 



2.47 



412 
3,13 



3.62 



2.85 
4 61 



3.73 



3.52 
5.04 



4 28 



3.39 

3.87 



3.63 



2.69 
2.37 



2.53 



2.21 
2.53 



2.37 



3.11 
1.82 



2.40 



2.16 
3.64 



a 1 year interpolated, 
b 2 years inteipolated 
cl year interpolated, 
d 5 years inte polated 
e2 years interpolated 
/2 years Interpolated 
g 1 year interpolated 
ft 1 year interpolated 
i 3 years interpolated 
j 2 years interpolated 
* 4 years interpolated 



based on observations at Oakland. 

, based on observations at Oakland. 

based on observations at Washington. 

, based on observations at Mount St. Mary College. 

, based on observations at Mount St. Mary College. 

, based on observations at AVashington. 

based on observations at Clear Spring. 

based on observations at Chewsville and Sharpsburg. 

, based on observations at Chewsville and Sharpsburg. 

based on observations at Chewsville and Sharpsburg. 

based on observations at Chewsville and Sharpsburg. 



35.71 
38.81 



37.26 



HAGERSTOWN, MD., ALTITUDE 550 FEET. 


1896-1900 


2.27 


4 28 


,4 13 


1.31 


ft3.02 


«3. 54 


;3.73 


J3. 85 


i2. 66 


i2.37 


3.25 


2.21 


36. 52 


1901-1905 


k 3.3. 89 
























































35.20 





























STREAM PLOW : RAINFALL. 



37 



Mean precipitation at stations in drainage basin of Potomac River — Continued. 

HANCOCK, MD., ALTITUDE 455 FEET. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Annual . 


1896-1900 


























o 33. 74 


1901-1905 


2.76 


1.83 


3.17 


3.79 


2.67 


5.27 


4.71 


3.81 


62.16 


02.45 


ii.48 


03.41 


37.54 
































a 35. 64 






























HARNEY, MD., ALTITUDE 500 FEET. 


1896-1900 


























c 39. 34 


1901-1905 


3.30 


2.91 


4 13 


3.30 


2.67 


4.83 


5.70 


4.14 


3.09 


3.14 


L85 


4.36 


43 46 
































<'41. 40 






























HARPERS FERRY, W. VA., ALTITUDE 277 FEET. 



1896-1900. 
1901-1905. 



10-year mean. . 



2.64 
3.19 


4.18 
1.95 


3.60 
4.27 


1.66 
3.75 


4 63 
3.42 


3.12 
4 50 


3.74 
5.14 


3.80 
3.21 


2.75 
3.16 


2.91 
2.76 


3.58 
L89 


2.76 
3.89 


2.91 


3.06 


3.93 


2.70 


4 02 


3.81 


444 


3.50 


2.95 


2.83 


2.73 


3.32 



1896-1900 L92 

1901-1905 2.72 



10-year mean.. 



L92 
2.72 


3.60 
L70 


3.13 
3.40 


1.65 
3 82 


3.25 
4 24 


3.82 
4 99 


3.27 
6.18 


3 28 
3 69 


2.78 
2. .W 


2.09 
2.70 


3.05 
2.20 


2.16 
3.01 


2.32 


2.15 


3.29 


2.73 


3 74 


440 


4 72 


3 48 


2.66 


2.39 


2.62 


2.53 



39.37 
4L13 



40.25 



LINCOLN, VA., ALTITUDE 500 FEET. 


1896-1900 


























■2[33. 11] 
41. 53 


1901-1905. 


2.58 


«2.34 


e3.07 


4 05 


3.00 


7.14 


4 44 


3.74 


2.72 


2.69 


2.05 


3.70 






10-year mean... 


























37.32 






























MARION, PA., ALTITUDE 640 FEET. 


1896-1900 
























/[37.50] 
a 40. &y 


1901-1905 1 - 




















































10-year mean... 
























39. 10 






















1 ■ 






MARTINSBURG, W. VA., ALTITUDE 435 FEET. 



34 02 
41. 2<) 



37.05 





MOUNT SI 


. MARY COLLEGE, MD., ALTITUDE 720 FEET. 






1896-1900 


2.28 
3.65 


3.87 
2.48 


3.89 
4 47 


1.67 
4 36 


!74 31 
3.17 


3.35 
5.12 


4 66 
4 74 


4 42 
S3 81 


3.01 
92.85 


3 06 
3 38 


3 95 
2.00 


2.57 
4 02 


41 07 


1901-1905 


44 0() 






10-year mean . . . 


2.96 


317 


418 


3 01 


3.74 


4 23 


4 70 


411 


2.93 


3 72 


2.97 


3.29 


42.56 



NEW MARKET, MD., ALTITUDE 550 FEET. 



1896-1900 


2.62 
3.61 


448 
3.00 


^4 26 
4 12 


1.99 
3.53 


3.74 
2.72 


2.76 
6.86 


5.13 

0.44 


3.36 

4 82 


2.82 
2.91 


2.68 
3 50 


4 04 
2.13 


2.37 
4 75 


40. 18 


1901-1905 


48 65 






10-year mean... 


3.11 


3.74 


4 19 


2.76 


3.23 


4 81 


5.78 


4 09 


2.86 


3.04 


3.08 


3 56 


44 41 



a 2 years interpolated 
b 1 year interpolated 
c 3 years interpolated 
d 5 years interpolated 
e 1 year interpolated, 
/ 5 years interpolated, 
a 1 year interpolated, 
A 1 year interpolated. 



, based on observations at Greenspring Furnace, 
based on observations at Greenspring Furnace. 
, based on observations at Mount St Mary College. 
, based on observations at Frederick, 
based on observations at Frederick. 
, based on observations at Greenspring Furnace, 
based on observations at Harney, 
based on observations at Frederick. 



38 



THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIF. 



Mean precipitation at stations in drainage hasin of Potomac River — Continued. 

OLD FIELD, W. VA., ALTITUDE SOO FEET. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Annual. 


1S96-1900 


2.16 


a 73 


2. 74 1. f,7 


400 


a 10 


3.S9 


a 74 


2.85 


2.12 


02.19 


01.77 


3a 87 


1901-1905 






i>33 64 




















lO-yearmean... 






■ 








33.75 




I 1 








1 







POINT OF ROCKS, MD., ALTITUDE 235 (?) FEET. 



1896-1900 

1901-1905 


2.39 

2.68 


a 66 a 55 
2. 15 , a 27 


1.79 ' a 98 

a 43 , a 57 


a38 

4 91 


a82 

448 


a30 

a 69 


2.98 2.54 2.97'i 2.11 
2.31 C2.19 dl.46 da 32 


36.69 
37.30 


10-year mean. . . 


2.53 


2. 90 j a 41 

1 


2. 61 a 77 


4 14 


4 15 


a49 


2. 64 1 2. 36 1 2. 21 


2.71 


3a 99 



RECEIVING RESERVOIR, MD., ALTITUDE 160 FEET. 



1896-1900. 
1900-1905. 



lOyear mean. 



2. 44 4 05 a 04 ' 1. 77 
eaOl 2.01 a 61 I a 73 



2.72 I a 03 



a 32 2.75 



a 40 ! a 16 

2.70 ) a 82 



ao5 a49 



4 03 

ao8 



5.05 



4 74 a 26 2.01 a 04 e2. 13 
a 85 2. 92 a 44 L 65 '4 76 



429 



ao9 



2. 72 2. 34 a 44 



a 1 year interpolated, 
b 5 years Interpolated 
c 2 years interpolated 
d 1 year interpolated, 
« 1 year interpolated, 
/ 5 years interpolated 
g 1 year interpolated, 

* 1 year interpolated. 
i 3 years interpolated 
} 5 years interpolated 

* 1 year interpolated, 



based on observations at Ronmey. 
, based on obser\-ations at Romney. 
, based on observations at Harper's Ferry, 
based on observations at Harpers Ferry, 
based on observations at Washington. 
. based on observations at Stephen City. 
based on observations at Stephen City, 
based on observations at Burlington. 
, based on observations at Harpers Ferry. 
, based on observations at Staunton, 
based on observations at Staunton. 



37.05 
4L61 



39.33 



RIVERTOX, VA., ALTITUDE 493 FEET. 


1896-1900... . 1 






III 










/[32.50] 
!7 32. 58 


1901-1905 








1 1 


2.01 


2.28 


1.35 


a4o 














10-year mean. . . 


















32.54 




1 


1 : i 1 


' ' I 




ROMNEY. W. VA., ALTITUDE 824 FEET. 


1896-1900 














A35.40 


1901-1905 


2.29 


Al.78 


a 04 1 a 13 


a 77 1 a 78 A4 34 


Aa99 


1.S9 


2.36 LSO 


2.91 


34 79 








lO-vearmean. 








1 i 












35.09 








■ 


: '• 1 












SHARPSBURG, MD., ALTITUDE 440 FEET. 


1896-1900 


2. 56 a 83 


a 26 dl. 46 d.^ 94 a 22 i a 78 


a 16 d2.62 


d2.29 


a 07 


2. 16 .'^T- ^ 


1900-1905 
















■ 3&11 


























10-year mean. . . 
























36.74 




1 
























SHENANDOAH, VA., ALTITUDE 937 FEET. 


1896-1900 


_._^_J 














j 


;[33.80] 
*34. 28 


1901-1905 














_ _ _ 




j 






1 






1 1 


1 


















34.04 








1 






1 i 1 





STBEAM flow: RAINFALL. 



39 



Mean precipitation at stations in drainage basin of Potomac River — Continued. 
SOMERSET, PA., ALTITUDE 2,250 FEET. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Annual. 


1896-1900. 


3.84 
4.86 


4.82 
3.95 


5.80 
5.71 


3.48 
5.95 


4.04 
4.30 


5.48 
6.01 


5.81 
5.55 


4.73 
4.71 


3.50 
2.38 


2.67 
3.06 


4.25 
2.31 


4.02 
4.56 


52.48 


1901-1905 


53.37 






10-year mean. . . 


4.35 


4.38 


5.75 


4.71 


4.17 


5.74 


5.68 


4.72 


2.94 


2.86 


3.28 


4.29 


52.87 



STAUNTON, VA., ALTITUDE 1,380 FEET. 



1896-1900 

1901-B05. 


2.56 
2.69 


3.32 

2.95 


3.93 
3.16 


1.95 
3.95 


4.30 
4.09 


3.59 
5.45 


3.62 
4.32 


3.83 
3.55 


3.71 
2.62 


3.57 
1.99 


2.53 

1.68 


1.90 
3.53 


38.85 
'"40.02 






10-year mean. . . 


2.62 


3.13 


3.54 


2.95 


4.19 


4.52 


3. a7 


3.69 


3.16 


2.78 


2.10 


2.71 


39.43 



STEPHENS CIT'i, VA., ALTITUDE 710 FEET. 



1896-1900 


2.39 


4. 16 3. 69 
3.64 


1.57 


4.22 


3.90 


4.01 


4.11 


2.99 
2.85 


3.17 
2.34 


2.51 


2.41 


39.17 


1901-1905 


a 39. 95 





























3.66 












2.92 


2.75 






39.56 

























SUNNYSIDE, MD., ALTITUDE 2,500 FEET. 



1896-1900 


4.73 


5.78 


6.46 


3.49 


5.68 


5.69 


7.04 


4.63 


3.99 


3.01 


5.44 


4.42 


60 38 


1901-1905 


6 51. 32 






























10-year mean. . . 


























55.85 




._.___ 

























TAKOMA PARK, MD., ALTITUDE 250 FEET. 



1896-1900 




























1901-1905 


4.23 


3.07 


4.10 


4.05 


3.12 


5.07 


7.23 


5.34 


4.17 


3.37 


1.95 


5.29 


51.02 






10-year mean... 

























































TANEYTOWN, MD., ALTITUDE 490 FEET. 



1896-1900 


1 
c2. 15 c4. 14 c3. 19 


<:1.82 cs.91 


c3. 22 


4.56 


3.96 


3.00 


2.26 


3.66 


2.52 


38.39 


1901-1905 




d 45. 08 






' 
















10-year mean 




















41.73 

























UPPER TRACT, W. VA., ALTITUDE 1,230 FEET. 



1896-1900. 
1901-1905. 



8-year mean-. 



2.22 



1.87 



2.67 



2.95 



3.82 



3.96 



1.87 



3.14 



435. 62] 
34.69 



35.15 



WASHINGTON, D. C, ALTITUDE 112 FEET. 



1896-1900 


2.76 
3.40 


4.97 
2.97 


3.67 
3.69 


1.94 
3.70 


3.87 
2.95 


3.94 
4.39 


3.93 

5.81 


4.16 

4.64 


3.27 
3.06 


2.33 
3.37 


2.58 
L96 


2.28 
4.69 


39.73 


1901-1905 


44.67 






10-year mean... 


3.08 


3.97 


3.68 


2.82 


3.41 


4.16 


4.87 


4.40 


3.16 


2.85 


2.27 


3.48 


42.20 



a 1 year interpolated, based on observations at Riverton. 

i 3 years interpolated, based on observations at Deer Park and Oakland. 

c 1 year interpolated, based on observations at Baclunan Valley. 

d 3 years interpolated, ba.sed on observations at Bacbman Valley. 

e Mean for 1898-1900. 



40 



THE POTOMAC EIVEB BASIZST. 



Mean precipitation at stations in drainage basin of Potomac River — Continued. 

V 

WBSTERNPORT, MD., ALTITUDE 1,000 FEET. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Annual. 


1896-1900 


2.35 
2.28 


3.10 
1.93 


3.52 
2.92 


2.41 
3.08 


4.08 
3.68 


3.51 
4.76 


4.10 
4.71 


3.10 
3.14 


2.81 
2.33 


2.35 
1.92 


2.98 
1.17 


1.70 
2.89 


36.02 


1901-1905 


34.81 






10-year mean... 


2.31 


2.51 


3.22 


2.74 


3.88 


4.13 


4.40 


3.12 


2.57 


2.13 


2.07 


2.29 


35.41 


WOODSTOCK, VA., ALTITUDE 927 FEET. 


1896-1900 


















3.12 
2.23 


2.92 
2.06 


2.11 
L41 


1.80 
3.00 


135 15 


1901 1905 


2.59 


1.77 


2.99 


3.25 


3.57 


5.71 


3.03 


4.04 


35 67 






10-year mean. 


















2.67 


2.49 


1.76 


2.40 


35 41 










i 











a 1 year interpolated, based on observations at Stephens City. 
COMPAEISOIir OF RAINFALL ANB RUN-OFF. 

At eight river-measurement stations in the Potomac drainage basin 
the records of run-off were of sufficient extent for the comparison of 
rainfall and run-off. These stations are as follows: 

Potomac at Point of Rocks, Md. 
Monocacy near Frederick, Md. 
Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Md. 
South Branch of Potomac near Springfield,' W. Va. 
North Branch of Potomac near Piedmont, W. Va. 
South Branch of Shenandoah near Front Royal, Va. 
Nortli Branch of Shenandoah near Riverton, Va. 
Shenandoah at Millville, W. Va. 

The rainfall stations in the areas above these stations are so dis- 
tributed as to represent fairly well the conditions over the various 
areas. It has been assumed that for any area the mean rainfall for 
a given month is the mean of the monthly rainfall at the various 
stations in that area. Based on this assumption, the monthly and 
yearly rainfall for the years for which run-off records are available 
has been determined. These values are included in the tables of 
mean monthly run-off given for each gaging-station in other parts of 
this report. When these monthly rainfall tables were prepared some 
of the data given on pages 34-40 were not available. 

From the monthly rainfall and the monthly run-off the run-off in 
per cent of rainfall has been determined and also the loss of rainfall. 



STKEAM flow: RAINFALL AND RUN-OFF. 41 

In the comparison of run-off and rainfall the following facts must 
be kept in mind. First, rvm-off is a resultant quantity, being the 
amount of water left after evaporation, vegetation, seepage, etc., in 
the area have been satisfied; second, a rain gage shows only the rain 
that falls on a few square inches of surface. There should be many 
rain gages in order to ascertain the average precipitation over a 
watershed, and, as maximum precipitation often occurs in compara- 
tively small areas, it may not be recorded. Third, ground and sur- 
face storage modify the relation between precipitation and run-off. 
The run-off for a month in early spring may be much larger than the 
precipitation for that month, on account of melting snow that falls 
during the winter months. Again, in the early fall, when the ground 
water is low, a small rainfall yields a much smaller run-off than it 
would during the spring, when the ground is nearly saturated with 
water. Fourth, heavy rainfall frequently occurs at the end of the 
month, and as the run-off data are computed for the calendar months, 
the results from such rainfall may appear in the following month's 
record. Fifth, data are not available relative to snow storage, which 
produces the high percentages of run-off usually obtained for the late 
winter and early spring. To account fully for this storage, a sample 
of snow extending from top to bottom should be melted at the end 
of each month, in order to determine the total amount of water stored 
on the ground. The quantity available for run-off during the follow- 
ing month would be the amount thus determined plus the precipita- 
tion during the following month minus the amount left in snow 
storage at the end of that month plus or minus the change in ground 
water. These and other causes make the monthly ratios of run-off 
to rainfall appear very erratic. A month is too short a period for the 
comparison of these quantities. A year is a better period, but not 
entirely satisfactory, especially if the calendar year is taken, as the 
snow and ground-water storage are not in the same conditions at the 
end of each year. 

Notwithstanding the above facts, the rainfall and stream data 
and the comparison between the two are very consistent from year 
to year and from station to station, and are of great interest both for 
comparative purposes and to show the general conditions existing 
in the drainage. 



42 



THE POTOMAC BIVER BASIN. 



GAGING STATIONS. 



In the following table are listed the stations in the Potomac basin 
at which stream measurements have been made by the United States 
Geological Survey: 

Gaging stations of the United States Geological Survey in the Potomac basin. 



Station. 



Savage River at Bloomington, Md 

North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va 

Georges Creek at Westernport, Md 

Wills Creek at Cumberland, Md 

North Branch oJ Potomac River at Cumberland, Md 

South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va. 

Potomac River at Great Cacapon, W. Va.o 

Tuscarora Creek at Martinsburg, W. Va 

Opequon Creek near Martinsburg, W. Va 

Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md 

South River at Basic, Va 

South River at Port Republic, Va 

Cooks Creek at Mount Crawford, Va 

Lewis Creek at Staunton, Va 

North River at Port Republic, Va 

Elk Run at Elkton, Va 

Hawksbill Creek near Luray, Va 

South Branch of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va 

Passage Creek at Buckton, Va 

North Branch of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. . . 

Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va 

Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md 

Monocacy River near Frederick, Md 

Rock Creek at Lyon's mill, Washington, D. C 

Rock Creek at Zoological Park, D. C 



Period of observations. 



May 3, 1905, to July 15, 1906. 

Jime 27, 1899, to July 15, 190(i. 

May 4, 1905, to July 15, 1906. 

May 6, 1905, to July 14, 1906. 

June 11, 1894, to Nov. 20, 1897. 

June 3, 1894, to Oct. 20, 1894; Apr. 11, 
1895, to Feb. 29, 1896; June 26, 1899, 
to Feb. 24, 1902; Aug. 28, 1903, to 
July 14, 1906. 

May 8 to Dec. 30, 1905 

May 9 to June 4, 1905; Oct. 8, 1905, to 

July 15, 1906. 
July 1, 1897, to Aug. 25, 1905. 
June 29,1905, to July 15, 1906. 
Aug. 6, 1895, to Apr. 1, 1899. 
July 1, 1905, to July 15, 1906. 

Do 
Aug. 6, 1895. to Apr. 1, 1899. 
June 28, 1905, to July 15, 1906. 
June 27, 1905, to July 15, 1906. 
June 26, 1899, to July 16, 1906. 
Oct. 26, 1905, to July 15, 1906. 
June 26, 1899, to July 14, 1906. 
Since Apr. 15, 1895. 
Since Feb. 17, 1895. 
Since Aug. 4, 1896. 
Aug. 18, 1892, to Nov. 30, 1894. 
Jan. 18, 1897, to Nov. 10, 1900. 



a Gage-height records were obtained from June 21, 1894, to March 7, 1896, but arc not republished on 
accoimt of their unreliahility. 

Daily gage-height records are at present maintained by the Weather 
Bureau in the Potomac drainage basin at Cumberland, Md.; River- 
ton, Va., and Harpers Ferry, W. Va. General information and tables 
of gage heights at these stations can be found in the Weather Bureau 
Report of Daily River Stages of the Principal Rivers of the United 
States. 

The Cumberland station on North Branch of Potomac River was 
established September 1, 1901, at the dam just below the mouth of 
Wills Creek. The range of stage since the date of establishment has 
been from to 11.5 feet. The danger line is at 8 feet. The datums 
of the Weather Bureau and Geological Survey gages have not been 
connected by level at this point. It is not considered advisable to 
attempt to obtain additional estimates at Cumberland based on 
the Weather Bureau records, because no discharge measurements 
have been made there since 1898. 

The Riverton statioji on Shenandoah River was established Sep- 
tember 1, 1901, at the Norfolk and Western Railway bridge below 
the junction of North and South branches. Gage heights were also 
obtained at this point during 1892 to 1894. The liighest water was 



STREAM FLOW : NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 43 

4:7 feet September 30 and October 1, 1870; the lowest since 1900 was 
— 1.7 feet. The danger line is at 22 feet. 

The Harpers Ferry station on Potomac River was estabhshed in 
1882 at the Baltimore and Oliio Railroad bridge. November 1, 1901, 
the gage datum was lowered 2.00 feet. The highest water was 36 
feet, June 1, 1889; the liigh water of November, 1877, was 29.2 feet; 
the lowest on various dates — 3 feet. The danger line is at 18 feet. 
Elevations have been reduced to new datum. 

Records were also kept of the elevation of the water surface at 
liigh tide at Long Bridge, Washington, D. C, from June 1, 1891, to 
April 15, 1893. For flood stages see page 181. The danger point 
is 8 feet on the gage, or about 7 feet above mean sea level. Daily 
gage heights at Great Falls have likewise been published from 1890 
to 1892 inclusive. 

IS^ORTH BIIAIVCH OF POTOIIAC RIVER BASIJ^. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

The general features of the basin of North Branch of Potomac 
River are described on page 213. The country drained comprises 
steep mountain slopes and narrow valjeys. The run-ofl^ is rapid and 
fluctuations in flow are great. The fall of the stream both above and 
below Cumberland is large. Facilities for dams are excellent. The 
tributaries of North Branch are comparatively small and the fall 
of many of them is rapid. 

SAVAGE RIVER AT BLOOMINGTON, MD. 

Savage River rises on Bog and Little Savage mountains, in the 
northeastern part of Garrett County, Md., and flows in a general 
southwesterly direction for about 20 miles, then turns to the south- 
east, and enters North Branch of Potomac River near Bloomington. 
The drainage area is practically uninhabited and the watershed is 
given over to lumbering. The river receives the waters of a num- 
ber of small runs. The gaging station on Savage River was estab- 
lished May 3, 1905, and was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located 
at a highway bridge about 800 feet above the junction of Savage 
River with North Branch of the Potomac. 

The channel is straight for 200- feet above and below the station. 
The current is swift. The right bank is low and clean and has an 
overflow channel at high water. The left bank is high and does 
not overflow. The bed of the stream is rocky, very irregular, and 
permanent. There is but one channel at low and ordinary stages; 
during high-water stages there are two channels. 

Discharge measurements were made from the downstream side of 
the steel bridge to which the gage is fastened. The initial point for 
soundings is the center of the bridge pier at the left abutment, down- 
stream side. 

lEK 192—07 i 



44 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 



A standard chain gage is attached to the downstream side of the 
bridge near the left abutment. The length of the chain from the end 
of the weight to the marker is 21.15 feet. The gage was read twice 
each day by F. S. Cline. Bench mark No. 1 is a chiseled cross on the 
downstream corner of the left abutment. Its elevation is 16.49 feet 
above gage datum. Bench mark No. 4 is the top of the pulley wheel 
of the gage. Its elevation was 20.82 feet above gage datum March 
16, 1906. 

Estimates are considered to be within 5 per cent of the true dis- 
charge for stages above 30 second-feet. Below this limit the probable 
error may be somewhat greater. The estimates do not include the 
flow in the 10-inch pipe which carries the Piedmont water supply. 
This pipe rests upon the river bottom at the bridge and in low' water 
carries an appreciable percentage of the total flow of the river. Ice 
conditions did not affect the flow at this station during the wintei; of 

1905-6. 

Discharge measurements of Savage River at Bloomington, Md. 



Date. 



1905. 

April 18 

May 4 

J une 7 

July 17 

November 7 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


2.96 


89 


2.68 


72 


-2.88 


81 


2.47 


37 


2.59 


66 i 

1 



Date. 



1906. 

March 16 

April 10 

Do 

April 11 

May 28 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
2.95 
5.60 
5.40 
4.79 
3.25 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 

87 

1,139 

1.027 

685 

141 



Daily gage 


height, in feet, o 


/ Savage River at Bloomington, 


Md. 






Day. 


Jan. 


T-eb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 












2.8 

2.72 

2.62 

2.52 

2.52 

2.42 
2.97 
3.42 
3.22 
2.92 

3.93 

4.55 
4.25 
3.75 
.3.4 

3.18 
2.92 
2.78 
2.68 
2.72 

2.78 

2.6 

2.52 

2.85 

2.82 

2.68 

2.8 

2.58 

2.48 

2.32 


2.32 

3.3 

2.92 

2.82 

2.72 

2.48 
3.62 
4.32 
3.75 
3.52 

3.38 

3.1 

2.92 

2.88 

2.72 

2.52 

2.4 

2.32 

2.28 

2.4 

2.28 

2.22 

2.6 

2.35 

2.18 

2.18 

2.02 

1.9 

2.15 

2.62 

2.82 


2.6 
2.42 

2.22 
2.12 
2.05 

2.1 

1.92 

1.85 

1.9 

1.85 

1.85 
2.25 
2.08 
1.95 
2.05 

2.45 
2.22 
2.19 
2.15 
2.05 

2.05 
1.95 
1.82 
1.85 
3.05 

3.55 
2.92 
2.68 
2.62 
2.48 
2.32 


2.18 

2.2 

2.13 

2.12 

1.9 

1.88 

1.85 

1.7 

1.9 

1.78 

4.48 

3.85 

3.4 

3.08 

2.75 

2.58 
2.52 
2.45 
2.42 
2.28 

2.18 


1.98 
2.12 
2.08 
2.15 
2.05 

1.9 

1.9 
1.8 
1.85 
1.78 

2.22 

2.75 
2.48 
2.42 
2.32 

2.22 

2.18 

2.02 

2.1 

4.42 

a 7-"; 


2.82 
2.78 
2.62 
2.55 
2.5 

2.58 

2.58 
2.48 
2.52 
2.42 

2.4 

2.35 

2.28 

2.25 

2.22 

2,42 
2 ?2 
2 25 
2.22 
2.2 

2.08 
1 92 


3.58 


9 













3.92 


3 










2.7 
2.7 
2.62 

2.62 

2.62 

2.58 

2.5 

2.45 

2.4 

2.78 

2,7 

3.0 


5.22 


4 










4.58 












4.28 


6 










3 7 


7 










3.52 


8 










3.35 


9 










3 18 


10 










3.25 


11 










2.88 


12 










2 88 


13 










2 82 


14 ■ 










2 72 


15 










4.15 

3.^2 
3.75 
3.65 
3.48 
3.25 

3.1 

2.92 

2.78 

2.62 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.48 

2.4 

2.4 

2.5 


2 62 


16 










2.45 


17 










2 82 


18 










2.65 


19 










2 52 


20 .". 










2.65 


21 










3 75 


22 










2. 12 .3 5S 


4 52 


23 










2.05 

2.3 

1.9 

1.9 

1.95 

1.9 

1.9 

1.85 


.3.05 


4. 48 


24 










2 92 5 95! 


4 25 


25 










2.85 

3.55 

3.6 

3.48 

3.35 

2.7 

2.92 


2.28 

2.2 

2.12 
2.1 
3.42 
4.2 


3 9 


26 










3 7 


27. . 










3 48 


28 










2 78 


29 










3 4 


30 .' 










2 2 


31 












2.15 



STREAM flow: SAVAGE EIVEB. 45 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Savage River at Bloomington, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 

2.8 

2 75 
3.05 
4.28 
4.52 

4.15 

3.85 

3.6 

3.3 

3.12 

3.18 

3.2 

2.75 

3.18 

3.02 

3.25 

3.52 

3.6 

4.02 

4.0 

4.15 

4.32 

7.08 

5.5 

4.55 

4 1 
3.6 
3.52 
3.48 

3 2 


Feb, 

2.75 
2.55 

2.05 
3.03 
2.75 

2.6 

2.67 
2.6 
2.53 
2.6 

2.37 

2.47 

2.5 

2.47 

2.37 

2.4 
2.47 
2.27 
2.33 
2:33 

2.47 
2 63 
2.63 
2.35 
2.47 

2 37 
2.23 
2.25 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


•Tuly. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


l'J06. 
1 


'2.53 
2.43 

2.7.1 
4.45 
3.83 

3.5 

3.37 

3.25 

3.17 

3.15 

2.97 
3.05 
2.87 
2.93 
3.2 

2.93 
2.88 
2.74 
2.78 
2.95 

2.9 

2.98 

2.75 

3.18 

3.05 

3.05 

4 85 
6.5 
6.0 
7.15 
6 05 


5.32 
4 82 
4 98 
5.22 
5.88 

5.92 
4.88 
4.48 
4.42 
5.95 

4.9 

4.35 

3.95 

3.8 

4.78 

4.6 

4.3 

4.05 

3.75 

3.55 

3.52 

3.4 

3.48 

3.4 

3.52 

3.62 
3.65 
3 58 
3 48 
3.35 


3.22 
3.18 
3.32 
3.22 
3.0 

3.0 

2.92 
2,82 
2 82 
2.8 

2,72 
2.68 
2.58 
2.52 
2.52 

2.48 
2 38 
2 32 
2.42 
2.32 

2.3 
2 3 
2 25 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 

2.42 

3.4 

3.35 

2 95 

2.82 


3.35 
3.28 

2 95 
2.75 
2.75 

3.35 
4.62 
.5.15 
4 05 
3.6 

3,32 
3.05 
2.88 
3. 05 
2.85. 

2 65 
2.55 
2.38 
2.3 
2. 52 

2.98 
2.82 
2.78 
2.78 
2.62 

2 65 
2 78 
2.75 
2. .55 
2.42 


2.48 
2 38 

2.28 

2.2 

2.12 

1.98 
1.88 
1.88 












9 












3 












4 












5 












6 






















8 












9 


1 88 
1-88 

1.92 
1.88 
1.88 
1.92 
1.78 












10 












11 












12... . .. . . 


.- . . 










13 












14 












15 












10. 












17 














18. 














19 














20 














21 














22 














23 














24 






1 






25 














20 














27 














2S 














29 














30 






1 






31. 


3.18 






1 














i 





Rating fahic for Savage River at Bloomington, Md., from May 3, 1905, io July 15, 1906.a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 
Second-feet. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


1.70 


8 


2.90 


84 


4.00 


344 


5.20 


912 


1.80 


10 


3.00 


98 


4.10 


380 


5.40 


1,030 


1.90 


12 


3.10 


114 


4.20 


418 


5.60 


1,150 


2.00 


15 


3.20 


132 


4.30 


458 


5.80 


1,280 


2.10 


19 


3,30 


152 


4.40 


500 


. 6.00 


1,415 


2.20 


23 


3,40 


174 


4.50 


544 


6.20 


1,555 


2.30 


28 


3,50 


197 


4.60 


591 


6.40 


1,695 


2.40 


34 


3.60 


222 


4.70 


640 


6.60 


1,840 


2.50 


41 


.3.70 


249 


4.80 


691 


6.80 


1,990 


2.60 


50 


3.80 


278 


4.90 


744 


7.00 


2,140 


2.70 


60 


3.90 


310 


5.00 


799 


7.20 


2,300 


2.80 


71 















a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based upon eight discharge 
measurements made during 1905 and 1906. It is well defined between gage heights 2.4 feet and 5.6 feet. 



46 



THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of Savage River at Bloomington, Md. 
[Drainage area, 120 square miles.] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



Depth in 
inches. 



190.5, 

May3-31 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November : 

December , . . 

1900, 

January , 

February ' 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-15 



399 
568 
466 
210 
535 
509 
418 
924 



2,204 

103 

2,260 

1,380 

174 



40 



66 
24 
36 
163 
23 
28 
10 



97.8 

118 
85.0 
34.0 
56.0 
82.1 
51.1 

220 



3.30 

43.8 
348 
521 

69.9 
138 

17.8 



0.815 
.983 
.708 
.283 
.467 
.684 
.426 

1.83 



2.75 
.365 

2.90 

4.34 
.582 

1.15 
.148 



0.879 
1.10 
.816 
.326 
.521 
.789 
.475 
2.11 



3.17 
.380 

3.34 

4.84 
.671 

1.28 
."082 



NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER AT PIEDMONT, W. VA. 

This gaging station was established June 27, 1899, by E. G. Paul, 
and was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located at the iron high- 
way bridge connecting Luke, Md.,-with Piedmont, W. Va. 

The channel is straight for .1,200 feet above and 600 feet below the 
station. The current has a moderate velocity. The right bank is 
high and rocky and does not overflow. The left bank is low and 
liable to overflow, but all water passes beneath the bridge. The bed 
of the stream is composed of gravel and cobblestones, overlain in the 
left channel and in part of the right channel by refuse from pulp mills 
above the bridge. It is free from vegetation. Discharge measure- 
ments were made from the downstream side of the bridge to which 
the gage is attached. The initial point for soundings is the face of the 
pier on the right bank. 

The standard chain gage is attached to the hand rail on the 
lower side of the bridge in the second span from the right end. The 
length of the chain from the end of the weight to the marker is 38.87 
feet. The gage was read twice each day by Charles H. Beck. The 
bench mark is the top of a small shoulder in the face of the sandstone 
ledge which forms the right abutment of the bridge. It is about 4 
feet above the ground and 10 feet downstream from the bridge. The 
point is indicated by an arrow cut in the vertical face of the ledge. Its 
elevation is 20.40 feet above gage datum. 

The plotting of the discharge measurements made during 1899 to 
1906 indicates that the channel has been gradually filling in at the 
control below the gaging section, and also to some extent at the gaging 
section itself, thus causing a gradually diminishing discharge for a 
given gage height. This apparently is due to refuse discharged into 



STREAM flow: NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 



47 



the river from pulp mills immediately above the bridge. The amount 
of refuse affecting the flow does not increase at a constant rate, and 
at times of high water part of it may be washed away. Owing to these 
changing conditions of flow all estimates at this station are somewhat 
uncertain, there being a varying error of from 5 to 20 per cent. The 
larger percentages of error occur at low-gage heights, especially during 
periods when no measurements were made. The three rating curves 
prior to 1906 have been united at about gage height 4.5 feet. This is 
not strictly correct, but the percentage of error involved is relatively 
small. Ice conditions at this station probably do not greatly affect 
the discharge. No corrections were made in estimates for ice periods. 
Estimates for the period from June 27, 1899, to December 31, 1903, 
previously published have been revised. Estimates for 1904 and 
1905, as published in the 1905 report, have not been changed. 

A summary of the records furnishes the following results : Maxi- 
mum discharge for twenty-four hours, 13,450 second-feet; minimum 
discharge for twenty-four hours, 6 second-feet; mean annual dis- 
charge for six years, 687 second-feet; mean annual rainfall for seven 
years, 38.66 inches. 

Discharge measurements of North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va. 



Date. 



January 27 



1899. 



1900. 

February 22 

June 20 

September 12 



July 24. 
November 7. 



1901. 



August 19. 



1902. 



August 31 . 



1903. 



July 8o. 



1904. 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
3.00 



3.75 
4.40 
1.80 



2.90 
2.10 



2.14 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
350 



735 

1,249 

34 



275 
39 

50 

208 

116 



Date. 



September 9.. 
September 28. 



March 9 . . 
March 10... 
March 29... 
April 18.... 

April 24 

May 4 

June 7 

July 17 

November ' 



1905. 



March 16. 
March 30. 
April 11.. 
May 28... 



1906. 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
1.9 
1.9 



6.70 
7.47 
4.25 
3.46 
3.63 
3.22 
3.44 
3.15 
3.38 



.3.51 
7.15 
5.64 
3.49 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
14.7 
20 



4,516 
6,047 
1,096 
416 
526 
326 
441 
280 
439 



412 
5,819 
2,589 

391 



a Measurement unreliable, owing to defective meter. 



48 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1899. 
1... . 














3.15 

2.9 

2.8 

2.7 

2.65 

2.7 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.65 

2.5 

2.4 

2.85 

2.85 

2.5 

2.7 

2.9 

2.65 

2.5 

2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.2 

2.15 

2.5 

2.35 

2.3 

2.45 

3.0 

2.85 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

2.6 

2.7 
3.0 
2.85 
2.7 

2.6 

2.45 

2.6 

2.65 

2.55 

2.35 

2.3 

2.25 

2.35 

2.9 

2.75 

2.55 

2.45 

2.4 

3.2 

4.05 

4.4 

3.2 

3.0 

3.0 

3.25 


2.5 

2.35 

2.25 

2.4 

2.4 

2.4 
2.55 
2.45 
2.3 
2.25 

2.1 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 

1.95 

1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

2.1 

3.0 

2.9 

2.55 

2.35 

2.95 

2.75 

2.65 

2.6 

2.4 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 

2.05 

2.0 

2.1 

2.0 

2.0 

2.1 

2.4 

2.25 

2.25 

2.45 

2.2 

2.2 

2.65 

2.45 

2.4 

2.45 

2.45 

2.3 

2.2 

2.15 

2.1 


2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
2.3 

2.2 

2.15 

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

2.95 

3.4 

2.75 

2.45 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.15 

2.1 

2.45 

2.9 

2.65 

2.4 

2.4 

2.25 

2.2 

2.3 

2.55 

2.4 

2.25 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

1.95 

1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 

1.85 

1.9 

1.95 

2.7 


2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.2 

2.1 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.2 

2.15 

2.15 

2.85 

2.45 

2.2 

2.1 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.1 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

3.05 

3.2 

2.65 

2.5 

2.4 

2.25 

2.2 

2.1 

2.1 

2.15 

2.35 

2.8 

2.5 

2.35 

2.3 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 


3.75 

3,9 

3.05 

2.8 

2.8 

2.55 

2.5 

2.4 

2.4 

2.4 

2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.4 
3.35 

3.0 

2.8 

2.85 

3.3 

3.2 

3.0 

2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.6 

2.1 

2.1 

2.25 

2.65 

2.7 

2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.4 
2.5 

2.5 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.5 

2.6 
3.2 
3.0 
2.9 
3.35 

7.95 

5.2 

4.45 

4.05 

3.75 


2.6 


2 














2.6 


3 














2 6 


4. . . . . . 














2.6 


5 














2.5 


6. 














2.4 


7 














2.4 


8-- 














2.4 


9. 














2.35 


10 














2.4 


11. 








. 






2.5 


12. 














5.2 


13 














4.6 


14 














3.75 


15. 














3.6 


16 














3.35 


17 














3.05 


18. . . 














3.15 


19 














3.2 


20 














3.7 


21. . . . 














3.3 


22 














3.2 


23 














3.1 


24. . . . 














3.0 


25 














3.0 


26 














2.9 


27 












3.0 
2.9 
2.85 
3.5 


2.8 


28 












2.8 


29 












2.8 


30. . 












2.8 


31 












2.7 


1900.O 


2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 • 
2."7 

2.8 
2:9 
3.0 
3.3 
3.5 

3 5 


3.0 

3.05 

3.1 

3.1 

3.35 

3.6 
3.7 
l'.5.3 
5.4 
4.65 

4.4 

4.05 

5.9 

5.5 

4.8 

4.35 

4.15 

4.05 

3.7 

3.65 

3.6 

3.75 

4.0 

3.7 

3.6 

3.4 
3.4 
3.4 


3.55 

4.5 

4.1 

4.0 

4.3 

4.25 

5.8 

5.0 

4.55 

4.4 

4.3 

4.15 

4.1 

4.1 

4.0 

3.8 
3.7 
3.7 
4.0 
5.95 

5.35 

4.75 
4.6 
4.6 
4.5 

4.25 

4.35 

4.15 

4.0 

4.75 

4.6 


4.6 

4.8 

4.65 

4.5 

4.25 

4.15 
4.15 
4.3 - 
4.2 
3.95 

3.75 

3.7 

3.65 

3.55 

3.4 

3.4 

3.4 

3.55 

3.75 

3.65 

3.5 

3.5 

3.65 

3.85 

3.65 

3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
3.25 


3.15 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.0 

^95 

2.9 

2.9 

2.95 

3.2 

3.05 

3.0 

2.9 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
3.4 
3.95 

3.55 

3.35 

3.2 

3.15 

3.05 

3.0 

2.95 

2.9 

3.3 

3.25 

3.1 


3.3 
3.25 
3.25 
3.05 
2.9 , 

2.85 
2.85 
3.15 
3.15 
2.95 

2.8 

2.7 

2.7 

3.15 

3.2- 

3.95 
7.55 
5.85 
4.95 
4.45 

3.95 

3.65 

3.5 

3.35 

3.25 

3.25 

3.05 

2.9 

3.55 

3.15 


3.55 


2 


3.45 


3 


3.25 


4 


5.8 


5. ... 


5.65 


6 


4.7 


7. 


4.25 


8 


4.0 


9 


3.8 


10. 


3.6 


11 


3.4 


12 


64.7 
4.25 
3.9 
3.9 

3.9 

4.4 

4.1 

4.15 

5.8 

5.7 

4.75 

4.35 

4.1 

3.95 

3.8 

3.55 

3.4 

3.3 

3.2 

3.1 


3.4 


13- . 


3.4 


14 


3.3 


15. 


3.3 


16... 


3.2 


17 


3.05 


18. 


3.15 


19. . 


3.2 


20 


3 3 


21. 


3.25 


22. 


3.05 


23 


3 


24. 


3.05 


25 


3.05 


26 


3 


27. . . ... 


2.9 




? 9 


29 


3 45 


30 


3.05 


31 


3.3 



a Slight ice conditions during January and February, 1900. 
b Ice passed down the river January 12 and February 8, 1900. 



STKEAM FLOW : NORTH BRANCPI OF POTOMAC. 



49 



Daily gage JieigJit, in feet, of North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va. — 

Continued. 



Day. 


. an. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


.Tuly. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1901.1 
1 


3.4 

3.2 

2.95 

2.95 

3.15 

3.1 
3.0 
2.9 
3.0 
3.0 

4.0 
5. 75 
4.65 
4.15 
4.1 

4.0 

3.9 

3.55 

3.25 

3.35 

3.5 
3.9 
3.7 
3.6 
4.0 

3.7 

3.7 

3.55 

3.35 

3.5 

3.35 

4.45 

4.0 

4.3 

3.8 

3.55 

3.6 

3.6 

3.6 

3.45 

3.45 

3.4 
3.3 
3.1 
3.2 
3.2 

3.1 

3.05 

2.9 

3.0 

2.9 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
3.0 
3.0 

3.3 

d5.75 
5.0 
4.35 
4.1 
4.05 


3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.3 

3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.1 
3.1 

3.2 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 

3.0 

3.1 

.3.15 

3.6 

3.4 

3.2 

3.1 

3.0 

2.85 

2.95 

2.95 

2.9 

2.85 

3.8 
3.6 
3.5 
3.2 
3.4 

3.5 
3.5 
3.4 
3.3 
3.2 

3.15 
3.15 
3.1 
3. 05 
3.1 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.85 

2.8 
2.8 
3.0 
3.05 
<i3.35 

6.55 
6.05 
10.5 


2.85 

3.0 

4.0 

5.2 

4.6 

3.85 

3.8 

3.8 

4.7 

6.2 

6.9 

5.65 

5.15 

5.2 

4.75 

4.4 

4.1 

4.05 

4.05 

4.15 

4.55 

4.35 

4.2 

4.05 

4.15 

4.15 

4.55 

4.25 

4.05 

3.9 

3.75 

8.05 

7.1 

6.2 

5.4 

4.95 

4.5 

4.2 

4.2 

4.65* 

4.95 

5.65 

6.85 

8.1 

6.6 

.5.85 

5.85 
6.75 
5.65 
4.95 
4.6 

4.45 

4.5 

45 

4.5 

4.45 

4.25 

4.15 

4.2 

5.5 

5.3 

5.25 


3.8 

3.65 

4.0 

4.0 

4.45 

6.55 

6.3 

5.65 

5.0 

4.65 

4.5 

4.3 

4.2 

4.65 

5.25 

5.0 

5.7' 

5.4 

4.95 

7.6 

7.55 
6.35 
5.85 
5.65 
5.35 

5.05 
4.65 
4.35 
4.2 
4.1 


4.9 

4.65 

4.4 

4.7 

5.05 

5.95 

6.2 

6.45 

5.85 

5.7 

6.2 

7.05 

6.25 

5.8 

5.55 

5.25 

5.1 

4.95 

4.55 

4.4 

4.25 
4.15 
4.25 
4.15 
3.8 

3.7 

3.65 

3.55 

3.6 

3.7 


4.0 

3.9 

3.8 

3.75 

3.6 

3.4 

3.4 

3.3 

5.75 

7.55 

5.9 

5.25 

4.9 

4.6 

4.25 

4.1 

3.95 

3.8 

3.7 

3.75 

3.7 

4.55 

5.6 

4.65 

4.3 

4.55 

6.25 

6.15 

5.9 

5.55 

5.05 

3.55 

3.4 

3.7 

3.7 

3.55 

3.45 

3.5 

3.4 

3.3 

3.2 

3.4 

3.25 

3.2 

3.15 

3.1 

3.05 

3.0 

3.0 

2.9 

3.45 

3.75 

3.45 

3.4 

3.3 

3.3 

3.6 
4.1 
4.0 
3.8 
3.6 
3.35 


4.25 

4.4 

4.1 

3.9 

3.7 

3.6 
4.0 
4.0 
3.8 
3.55 

3.35 
3.15 
4.25 
3.95 
4.3 

4.9 

4.95 

4.7 

4.3 

4.05 

3.75 

3.55 

3.35 

3.2 

3.1 

3.2 

3.95 

4.8 

4.4 

3.7 

3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 

2.85 
2.8 
2.85 
2.95 
2.85 

2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
3.1 
2.9 

2.8 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

2.6 
2.9 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 

2.8 
3.0 
2.7 
2.6 
2.75 


3.35 

3.15 

3.0 

3.0 

2.9 

2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.6 

2.45 

2.4 

2.6 

3.5 

3.8 

5.3 

5.1 

4.25 

4.15 

3.55 

3.2 

3.1 

2.95 

2.9 

2.8 

2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

4.75 

3.8 

3.35 

3.2 

3.1 

2.95 

2.8 

3.05 

3.2 

2.95 

3.2 

3.05 

2.8 

2.7 

2.0 

2.5 

2.45 

2.4 

2.4 

2.55 

2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
3.2 
3.3 


2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.3 

2.4 

3.35 

2.85 

2.6 

2.5 

2.45 

2.35 

2.3 

2.45 

2.3 

2.3 

2.45 

3.15 

3.1 

3."35 

3.6 

3.35 

3.35 

4.95 

4.8 

3.9 

3.55 

3.65 

3.45 

3.15 

3.0 

2.85 

2.7 

2.6 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.45 

2.5 

2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.1 

2.15 

2.5 

2.4 

2.3 

2.2 

2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 


3.2 
3.0 

2.9 
2.8 
2.7 

2.6 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.4 

2.6 
2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 

2.45 

2.55 

2.6 

2.6 

2.5 

2.4 
2.4 
2.t 
2.3 
2.3 

2.2 

2.2 

2.25 

2.9 

2.9 

1.9 
1.9 
i.9 
2.0 
2.2 

2.35 

2.2 

2.1 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.2 

2.2 

2.65 

2.4 

2.45 


2.55 

2.4 
2.4 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 

2.35 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.25 

2.3 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

3.3 

3.35 
2.85 
2.7 
2.9 

2.9 

2.85 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 

3.25 

3.7 

3.35 

3.15 

2.95 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

2.6 

2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 
2.4 

2.7 


2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 

2.05 

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.15 

2.7 

3.0 

2.85 
2.65 
2.55 
2.45 
2.6 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.4 

2.4 

2.4 
2.4 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 
2.4 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 • 
2.75 

5.45 

4.5 

3.85 

3.6 

3.5 


2 5 


2 


2.7 


3 


5 6 


4 


5.2 


5 . ... 


4 2 


6 


3.5 


7 


3 5 


8 


3.5 


9 


3.^5 


10 


5.7 


11 

12 


4.55 
4.05 


13 


3.8 


14 


4.3 


15 


8. 15 


16 • 


5. .55 


17 


4.65 


18 


4.2 


19 


3.8 


20 


3.4 


21 


3.4 


22 


3.4 


23 


3.55 


24 


3.5 


25 


64.7 


26 


4.3 


27 


4.95 


28 


4.25 


29 


6.65 


30 


5.8 


31 


4.8 


1902.": 
1 


4.0 


2 


3.75 


3 


5.25 


4 


4 55 


5 


4.3 


6 


3.9 




3.8 


8 


3.75 


9 - 


3.5 


10 


3.45 


11 


5.55 


12 


6.45 


13 


e.o 


14 


5.8 


15 


5.0 


16 


7.6 


17 


6.45 


18 


5.45 


19 


4.9 


20 


4.7 


21 


5.0 


22 


5.9 


23 


5.15 


24 


4 7 


25 - 


4.5 


26 


4.1 


27. 


3.8 


28 


3 7 


29 


3.55 


30 


4.0 


31 


3.7 



o Slight ice conditions during December, 1901. 

i lee passed down the river December 25, 1901. 

c Ice conditions January and February, 1902. 

dice, passed down the river January 27 and February 25, 1902. 



50 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Daily gage height, in feet, of North Brartch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va. — 

Continued. 



Day. 



n. 

12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

Ifi. 
17- 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 



26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



1903.1 



1904. c 



a3.45 
3.6 
6.8 
6.15 
5.25 

4.8 
4.5 
4.2 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 

4.35 

3.95 

3.75 

3.7 



3.5 

3.75 
3.5 

3.45 

3.5 

; 3.45 

1 3.2 

I 3.2 

i 3.25 
3.25 

t>i. 75 
5.85 
7.3 
5.7 



2.9 

2.95 

3.0 

3.55 

3.1 

2.95 

3.15 

3.0 

2.9 

2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

3.15 

3.0 

2.95 

3.8 
<i6.8 
6.65 
5.3 
4.25 

4.0 

3.55 

3.25 

3.3 

3.4 

3.25 



Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


.'uly. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct., 


Nov. 


5.2 


6.7 


4.85 


3.6 


3.75 


4.45 


2.9 


2.8 


2.05 


2.3 


6.05 


5.55 


4.75 


3.5 


3.55 


4.05 


2.95 


2.65 


2.1 


2.3 


6.4 


5.0 


4.45 


3.55 


3.4 


3.75 


2.9 


2.5 


2.1 


2.2 


8.2 


4.65 


4.95 


4.55 


3.3 


3.7 


3.0 


2.4 


2.2 


2.2 


6.15 


4.5 


4.45 


3.75 


3.2 


4.15 


3.0 


2.3 


2.2 


2.25 


5.25 


4.5 


4.2 


3.6 


3.25 


5.2 


2.8 


2.5 


2.45 


2.4 


4.75 


4.6 


4.2 


3.6 


5.25 


4.05 


2.8 


2.5 




2.7 


4.6 


5.2 


5.15 


3.5 


4.55 


3.65 


2.7 


2.35 




2.5 


4.35 


6.1 


5.95 


3.45 


4.1 


3.45 


2.65 


2.3 




2.35 


4.0 


5.4 


5.2 


3.4 


3.9 


3.3 


2.5 


2.7 




2.3 


4.15 


4.95 


4.7 


3.35 


4.5 


3.25 


2.5 


2.45 




2.3 


5.05 


4.8 


4.6 


3.2 


4.35 


3.3 


2.5 


2.4 




2.3 


4.65 


4.5 


4.45 


3.2 


4.8 


4.0 


2.45 


2.3 




2.3 


4.5 


4.3 


5.3 


3.1 


4.8 


4.1 


2.4 


2.2 




2.3 


4.8 


4.15 


5.6 


3.1 


5.1 


3.75 


2.4 


2.15 




2.3 


6.95 


4.0 


6.05 


3.1 


4.55 


3.5 


2.4 


2.1 


2.5 


2.3 


5.7 


3.9 


5.45 


3.1 


4.3 


3.3 


2.4 


2.35 


2.5 - 


2.85 


4.95 


3.8 


5.0 


3.0 


4.0 


3.45 


2.6 


2.7 


2.6 


3.65 


4.5 


3.7 


4.7 


3.0 


3.6 


3.4 


2.5 


2.65 


2.7 


3.1 


4.35 


3.6 


4.4 


2.9 


3.65 


3.4 


2.95 


2.5 


2.65 


2.7 


4.15 


3.75 


4.2 


2.9 


4.5 


3.5 


2.8 


2.3 


2.6 


2.7 


4.0 


4.55 


4.0 


2.8 


4.15 


3.35 


2.6 


2.2 


2.5 


2.7 


3.85 


6.65 


3.9 


3.25 


6.1 


3.15 


2.5 


2.2 


2.4 


2.6 


3.9 


6.0 


3.8 


3.9 


5.15 


3.0 


2.4 


2.15 


2.4 


2.6 


3.8 


5.15 


3.8 


4.7 


4.45 


2.95 


2.3 


2.1 


2.4 


2.6 


3.7 


4.7 


4.3 


4.6 


4.0 


2.9 


2.4 


2.1 


2.3 


2.5 


4.05 


4.4 


4.2 


4.15 


3.85 


2.8 


2.4 


2.05 


2.3 


2.4 


8.8 


4.25 


3.85 


4.0 


4.1 


2.7 


2.65 


2.1 


2.3 


2.3 




4.05 


3.7 


3.8 


6.65 


2. 65 


2.55 


2.0 


2.3 


2.4 




4.0 


3.7 


3.7 


5.2 


2.7 


2.7 


2.0 


2.3 


2.4 




4.1 




3.8 




3.0 


2.8 




2.3 




3.2 


4.7 


4.7 


4.45 


3.95 


3.0 


2.35 


1.9 


2.0 


2.0 


3.05 


4. 55 


5.25 


4.2 


3.85 


3.1 


2.55 


1.9 


2.0 


2.0 


3.1 


4.85 


4.75 


3.95 


3.8 


3.05 


2.4 


2.0 


2.05 


2.05 


3.05 


5.55 


4.35 


3.85 


3.7 


2.85 


2.4 


1. 85 


2.0 


2.1 


3.05 


4.4 


4.15 


3.75 


3.8 


2.7 


2.4 


2.0 


1.95 


2.1 


3.1 


4.2 


4.0 


3.65 


3.9 


2.65 


2.35 


2.1 


1.95 


2.0 


6.2 


4.65 


3.9 


3.6 


3.75 


2.7 


2.25 


1.9 


2.0 


2.1 


6.1 


5.55 


3.9 


3.5 


3.6 


2.8 


2.2 


1.9 


2.15 


2.1 


4.7 


4.7 


4.3 


3.5 


3.5 


2.8 


2.05 


1.95 


2.1 


2.1 


4.05 


4.3 


4.15 


3.6 


3.6 


3.45 


2.15 


2.1 


2.1 


2.1 


3.8 


4.25 


3.95 


3.45 


3.5 


3.2 


2.2 


2.0 


2.15 


2.2 


3.6 


4.3 


3.85 


3.35 


3.4 


3.05 


2.2 


2.0 


2.2 


2.2 


3.25 


4.05 


3.85 


3.2 


3. 25 


2.9 


2.2 


2.0 


2.4 


2.2 


3. 35 


3.95 


3.7 


3.2 


3.2 


2.8 


2.2 


2.0 


2.25 


2.2 


.3.45 


3.85 


3.7 


3.4 


3.2 


2.7 


2.15 


2.05 


2.2 


2.2 


3.25 


3.65 


3.75 


3.4 


3.0 


2.6 


2.15 


2.1 


2.15 


2.2 


3.05 


3.55 


3.9 


3.2 


3.1 


2.5 


2.2 


2.1 


2.1 


2.2 


3.0 


3.85 


3.8 


3.7 


3.0 


2. 45 


2.1 


2.1 


2.05 


2.2 


3.1 


3.95 


3.7 


5.95 


2.9 


2.35 


2.1 


2.1 


2.1 


2.3 


3.0 


4.4 


3.6 


5.0 


3.0 


2.35 


2.15 


2.0 


2.1 


2.3 


3.2 


4.5 


3.5 


5.0 


3.05 


2.5 


2.2 


2.1 


2.2 


2.3 


4.45 


4.95 


3.45 


4.6 


3.6 


2.9 


2.2 


2.15 


2.2 


2.3 


4.25 


6.6 


3.4 


4. 25 


3.45 


3.2 


2.2 


2.1 


2.2 


2.3 


4.85 


5.6 


3.35 


4.05 


3.05 


2.9 


2.2 


2.1 


2.2 


2.3 


4.1 


5.05 


3.45 


3.9 


2.9 


2.7 


2.2 


1.9 


2,2 


2.25 


3.7 


4.95 


3.9 


3.75 


2.8 


2.7 


2.1 


2.05 


2.2 


2.25 


3.55 


4.8 


4.65 


3.85 


2.7 


2.6 


2.1 


2.0 


2.1 


2.2 


3.5 


4.4 


5. 25 


3.85 


2.75 


2.5 


1.9 


2.0 


2.2 


2.15 


4.75 


4.1 


4.95 


3.6 


3.25 


2.6 


2.0 


2.0 


2.1 


2.1 




4.0 


4.55 


3.5 


3.05 


2.5 


2.0 


2.0 


2.0 


2.1 




4.45 




3.5 




2.4 


1.9 




2.1 





" Ice conditions January, 1903. 

i Ice passed down the river January 28, 1903. 

c Ice conditions January, 1904. 

d Ice passed down the river January 22, 1904. 



STEEAM FLOW : NORTH BBANCH OP POTOMAC. 



51 



Daily gage height, in feet, of North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va. — 

Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905.a 
1 


3.05 
3.05 
3.05 
2.95 
2.95 

2.95 
2.9 

2.8 

2.75 

2.65 

2.75 

2.8 

5.95 

4.45 

3.65 

3.3 

3.25 

3.25 

3.25 

3.25 

3.25 
■3.3 


2.75 

2.7 

2.65 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 
2.55 
2.55 
2.55 
3.15 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.4 

3.3 

3.05 
2.95 
2.95 
2.85 
2.85 

2.85 

2.95 

3.4 

3.3 

3.25 

3.25 

3.55 
3.45 

3.65 
3. 55 
3.2 
3.4 
3.5 

3.0 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
2.9 

2.75 

2.85 

3.0 

3.05 

3.0 

2.75 

2.8 

2.9 

2.8 

2.95 

3.0 

3.2 

3.1 

3.05 

3.1 

3.1 
3.05 

2.6 


a3.35 
3.25 
3.15 
3.15 
3.35 

4.15 
64.5 
5.0 
7.05 
7.45 

6.3 

5.7 

5.65 

5.3 

5.0 

4.85 

6.1 

6.45 

6.75 

6.7 

8.1 

6.75 

5.8 

5.25 

5.65 

5.05 
4.9 

4.6 
4.3 
4.15 
4.0 

2.75 

3.1 

3.3 

5.15 

4.35 

3.95 

3.8 

3.8 

3.7 

3.6 

3.4 
3.6 
3.5 
3.5 
3.5 

3.5 

3.4 

3.15 

3.4 

4.05 

3.8 

3.7 

3.7 

3.75 

3.55 

3.6 

5.05 

7.3 

6.25 

7.4 

7.4 


3.85 

3.7 

3.6- 

3.55 

3.55 

3.8 

3.95 

3.95 

3.95 

4.0 

3.95 
3.95 
3.85 
3.75 
3.65 

3.55 

3.5 

3.5 

3.45 

3.75 

3.85 
3.9 

3.85 

3.7 

3.6 

3.5 
2.8 
2.9 
3.65 
3.5 


6.05 

5.55 

5.7 

6.0 

6.15 

6.8 

5.7 

5.05 

5.15 

6.45 

5.5 

6.45 

4.55 

4.45 

6.15 

5.45 
4.85 
4.45 
4.25 
4.1 

3.95 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.1 

6.5 
5.4 

4.65 
4.35 
4.15 


3.5 
3.3 
3.3 
3.2 
3.2 

3.2 
3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.1 

3.15 

3.5 

3.9 

3.65 

5.02 

4.4 

4.55 

4.05 

3.95 

3.75 

3.55 

3.5 

3.4 

3.2 

3.1 

3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
3.15 

4.0 
3.9 
4.0 
3.8 
3.7 

3.6 
3.7 
3.6 
3.5 
3.5 

3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.2 

3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 

2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

3.35 

3.45 

3.2 

3.0 


4.75 

4.0 

3.65 

3.4 

3.3 

3.2 

3.55 

4.15 

3.65 

3.45 

3.85 

4.2 

4.15 

3.75 

3.45 

3.25 
3.05 
3.65 
3.45 
3.65 

3.65 

3.65 

3.4 

3.45 

3.65 

3.45 
4.4 
3.65 
3.35 
3.2 

3.25 

3.45 

3.3 

3.1 

3.3 

4.6 

5.25 

4.7 

4.1 

3.65 

3.35 

3.1 

3.25 

3.1 

3.0 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.95 

3.1 
3 3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.0 

3.0 


3.3 

3.85 
3.55 
3.4 
4.05 

4.2 
4.3 

5.45 
4.55 
4.05 

4.1 

4.0 

3.95 

3.5 

3.35 

3.3 

3.15 
3.05 
2.95 
3.35 

3.3 

3.1 

3.65 

3.6 

3.25 

3.05 

2.9 

2.8 

2.9 

5.05 

4.2 

3.0 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
3.1 

2.85 

2.75 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.5 

2.65 

2.6 

2.6 

2.55 


3.85 

3.45 

3.2 

3.1 

3.5 

3.15 

3.0 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

3.2 

3.25 

3.0 

2.8 

2.85 

4.15 

3.5 

3.15 

3.0 

2.95 

2.9 

2.75 

2.65 

2.5 

4.35 

4.9 

3.7 

3.35 

3.15 

3.0 

3.0 


2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 

2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.45 

4.2 

4.15 

3.6 

3.25 

3.05 

2.9 

2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 

2.6 

2.55 

2.5 

2.4 

2.45 

2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 


2.3 

2.3 

2.4 

2.45 

2.4 

2.35 
2.3 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.65 

3.6 

3.05 

2.75 

2.6 

2.55 

2.5 

2.45 

3.8 

4.45 

4.0 

3.4 

3.15 

3.0 

2.95 

4.85 

4.4 

3.9 

3.6 

3.45 

3.3 


3.2 

3.1 

3.05 

3.0 

3.0 

3.15 
3.36 
3 2 
3.2 
3.05 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.85 

3.05 

3.0 

2.9 

2.9 

2.9 

2.75 
2.75 
2.85 
2.8 

2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
3.65 
4.55 


3,9 


2 


3 75 


3 . ... 


5 75 


4 • 


4 9 


5 


4 4 


6 


3 95 




3 85 


8 


3 7 


9 


3 65 


10 


3 6 


11 


3 3 


12. . . ..... 


3 25 


13... 


3 35 


14 . . 


3.25 


15 


3 


16 


2.95 


17 ■.. 


3 3 


18 


3.2 


19 


3 1 


20 


3 1 


21 


4.0 


22 


5.4 


23 


3.15 
3.05 
2. 85 

2.55 


4.9 


24 


4 9 


25 

26 


4.05 
4.0 


27 . 


2.55 
2.75 
2.75 
2.85 
2.75 

3.55 
3.35 
3.65 
5.65 
5.3 

4.6 

3.9 

4.05 

3.65 

3.55 

3.55 

3.7 

3.95 

3.8 

3.8 

3.95 

4.15 

4.1 

4.7 

4.35 

4.5 

4.85 

8.2 

6.4 

5.1 

4.6 

4.35 

4.3 

4.15 

3.95 

3.8 


3.85 


28 


3.65 


29 


3 8 


30 ... 


4.15 


31 


3.65 


1906. c 
1 




2 










3 










4 































7 










8- 










9 










10 










11 










12. . 






1 


13... 






1 


14 






1 


15 








16 






1 


17 








1 


18 








1 


19. . . 












20 












21 












22 












23 












24 












25 












26 












27 


3.6 












28 ... 


3.35 
3.25 
3.0 












29 












30. 












31 



























a Ice conditions during January, February, and March, 1905. 
6 lee passed down the river Marcii 7, 1905. 
c No ice during the ■svlnter of 1905-6. 



52 



THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 



Rating tables for North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va. 
JUNE 27, 1899, TO AUGUST 25, 1901. <■ 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discbarge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


1.80 


34 


2.60 


210 


3.30 


490 


4.00 


910 


1.90 


50 


2.70 


240 


3.40 


540 


4.10 


985 


2.00 


67 


2.80 


275. 


3.50 


595 


4.20 


1,070 


2.10 


85 


2.90 


310 


3.60 


650 


4.30 


1,160 


2.20 


105 


3.00 


350 


3.70 


710 


4.40 


1,250 


2.30 


128 


3.10 


395 


3.80 


775 


4.50 


1,345 


2.40 


153 


3.20 


440 


3.90 


840 


4.60 


1,445 


2.50 


180 















AUGUST 26, 1901, TO DECEMBER 31, 1903.!) 



1.90 


20 


2.60 


152 


3.30 


406 


4.00 


860 


2.00 


28 


2.70 


180 


3.40 


457 


4.10 


945 


2.10 


40 


2.80 


210 


3.50 


512 


4.20 


1,035 


2.20 


57 


2.90 


242 


3.60 


571 


4.30 


, 1,130 


2.30 


77 


3.00 


277 


3.70 


635 


4.40 


1,230 


2.40 


100 


3.10 


316 


3.80 


705 


4.50 


1,335 


2.50 


125 


3.20 


359 


3.90 


780 


• 





JANUARY 1, 1904, TO DECEMBER 31, 1905.c 



2.00 


15 


3.30 


347 


4.60 


1,440 


6.80 


4,720 


2.10 


24 


3.40 


397 ■ 


4.70 


1,550 


7.00 


5,100 


2.20 


36 


3.50 


453 


4.80 


1,660 


7.20 


5,500 


2.30 


51 


3.60 


515 


4.90 


1,775 


7.40 


5,910 


2.40 


68 


3.70 


584 


5.00 


1,890 


7.60 


6,330 


2.50 


88 


3.80 


660 


5.20 


2,130 


7.80 


6,rco 


2.60 


110 


3.90 


742 


5.40 


2,390 


8.00 


7,200 


2.70 


134 


4.00 


830 


5.60 


2,670 


8.50 


8,350 


2.80 


161 


4.10 


923 


5.80 


2,970 


9.00 


9,550 


2.90 


191 


4.20 


1,020 


6.00 


3,290 


■J. 50 


10,800 


3.00 


224 


4.30 


1,120 


6.20 


3,630 


10.00 


12,100 


3.10 


261 


4.40 


1,225 


6.40 


3,980 


10.50 


13, 450 


3.20 


302 


4.50 


1,330 


6.60 


4,340 







JANUARY 1 TO JULY 15, 1906.d 



2. .50 


70 


3.60 


457 


4.70 


1,430 


6.40 


3,785 


2.60 


88 


3.70 


519 


4.80 


1,540 


6.60 


4,140 


2.70 


109 


3.80 


587 


4.90 


1,655 


6.80 


4, 515 


2.80 


133 


3.90 


661 


5.00 


1,770 


7.00 


4,900 


2.90 


160 


4.00 


740 


5.20 


2,015 


7.20 


5,300 


3.00 


190 


4.10 


825 


5.40 


2,270 


7.40 


5,710 


3.10 


224 


4.20 


915 


5.60 


2.535 


7.60 


6,130 


3.20 


262 


4.30 


1,010 


5.80 


2,820 


7.80 


6,570 


3.30 


304 


4.40 


1,110 


6.00 


3,125 


8.00 


7,030 


3.40 


350 


4.50 


1,215 


6.20 


3,450 


8.20 


7,500 


3.50 


401 


4.60 


1,320 











a This table is strictly applicable only lor open-channel conditions. It is based on four discharge 
measurements made during 1899 and 1900. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 1.8 feet and 
4.5 feet. As applied to 1901 gage heights it is liable to give estimates several per cent too high, owing 
to changes in the condition of flow at and below the section during 1901. Above gage height 4.60 feet 
the table is the same as the 1904-5 table. 

li This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on three discharge 
measurements made during 1901-1903 and on tlie form of other curves at this station. It is fairly weU 
defined. Above gage height 4.50 feet the table is the same as the 1904-5 table. 

c This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on discharge meas- 
urements made during 1904-1905. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 3.0 feet and 7.5 feet. 
Below 3 feet the table is based on two measurements at 2 feet. The above table as applied to 1904 gage 
heights is liable to give estimates several per cent too low above gage height 2.5 feet. As applied to 
1905 gage heights it is liable to give estimates several per cent too high below gage height 2.5 feet. 

d This taljle is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on three discharge 
measurements made during 1906 and the form of previous curves at tliis station. It is well defined 
between gage heights 3.5 feet and 5.5 feet. 



STREAM flow: NORTH BRANCH. OF POTOMAC. 



53 



Estimated monthly discharge of North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Vn. a 
[Drainage area, 410 square miles.] 



Month. 



1899. 

January 

February... 

March 

April 

May 

June 27-30.. 

July 

August 

September.. 

October 

November.. 
December.. 



The year. 



1900. 

January 

February... 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November. . 
December.. 



The year. 



1901. 

January 

February... 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November.. 
December . . . 



The year 

1902. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October c 

November 

December 

The year. . 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



595 
418 
350 
540 
105 
840 
2,130 



2,970 

3,130 

3,210 

1,660 

875 

6,225 

1,250 

330 

240 

440 

7,090 

2,970 



7,090 



2,895 

650 

4,910 

6,330 

6,225 

1,832 

2,260 

1,832 

359 

138 

277 

7, 545 



7,545 



2,895 

13, 450 

7,430 

5,200 

945 

406 

1,605 

226 

166 

635 

2,460 

6.330 



13,450 



292 


387 


95 


209 


50 


119 


67 


157 


67 


88 


105 


275 


140 


421 



Run-off. 



Second-feet p thin 
per^scjuare •„?,,,. 



0.944 
.510 
.290 
.383 
.216 
.671 

1.03 



240 


838 


350 


1,032 


622 


1,306 


465 


821 


240 


392 


240 


804 


116 


308 


67 


136 


34 


53 


67 


143 


81 


577 


310 


692 



310 

292 

292 

680 

490 

395 

153 

128 

57 

40 

28 

125 



28 



20 



592 



705 

407 
1,387 
2,234 
1,681 

925 

490 

409 

149 
63.5 
70.3 
1,472 



2.04 
2.o2 
3.19 
2.00 
.956 
1.96 
.751 
.332 
.131 
.349 
1.41 
1.69 



1.44 



1.72 

.993 

3.38 

5.45 

4.10 

2.26 

1.20 

1.00 

.363 

.155 

.171 

3.59 



831 



242 


644 


1.57 


210 


1,082 


2.64 


990 


2, .578 


G.29 


542 


1,980 


4.83 


242 


483 


1.18 


100 


219 


.534 


77 


265 


.646 


20 


85.8 


.209 


20 


40.9 


.100 


100 


213 


.520 


100 


288 


.702 


484 


1,764 


4.30 



804 



2.03 



1.96 



0.140 
.588 
.334 
.427 
.249 
.749 

1.19 



2.35 
2.62 
3.68 
2.23 
1.10 
2.19 
.866 
.383 
.146 
.402 
1.57 
1.95 



19.49 



1.03 

3.90 

6.08 

4.73 

2.52 

l.,38 

1.15 

.405 

.179 

.191 

4.14 



27.68 



1.81 
2.75 
7.25 
5.39 
1.36 
.596 
.745 
.241 
.112 
.600 
.783 
4.96 



26.60 



Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 



a See description and footnotes to the rating tables, 
i) Precipitation for complete month June, 1899. 
c Discharge interpolated October 28 and 29, 1902. 



137 
73 
109 
170 
50 
49 
20 
14 
20 
19 
29 
79 



54 
79 
114 
102 
67 
72 
51 
24 
19 
28 
7 
72 



57 

72 

173 

130 

42 

14 

21 

11 

4 

20 

34 

94 



63 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



2.01 
3.85 
5.08 
1.93 
6.60 
'>4.81 
2.64 
2.11 
3.91 
2.29 
1.76 
2.44 



39.43 



1.72 
3.59 
3.37 
1.31 
2.22 
4.47 
4.24 
2.64 
.74 
2.07 
5.46 
2.46 



34.29 



3.68 
1.30 
3.42 
5.93 
7.03 
3.52 
2.69 
4.89 
2.09 
.65 
2.69 
5.73 



43. 62 



3.19 
3.83 
4.18 
4.14 
3.26 
4.34 
3.62 
2.14 
2.84 
3.00 
2.32 
5.29 



42. 15 



Loss m 
Inches. 



2.05 
1.78 
3.48 
2.04 
1.01 
1.25 



-0.63 
.97 

- .31 

- .92 
1.12 
2.28 
3.37 
2.26 

.59 
1.67 
3.89 

.51 



14.80 



1.70 
.27 

- .48 

- .15 
2.30 
1.00 
1.31 
3.74 
1.69 

.47 
2.50 
1.59 



15.94 



1.38 

1.08 

-3.07 

-1.25 

1.90 

3.74 

2.87 

1.90 

2.73 

2.40 

1.54 

.33 



15.55 



54 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va.- 

Continued . 





Discharge iu second-feet. 




Run-off. 




Pjecipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 


In 
inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1903. 


5,700 

9,070 

4,530 

3,375 

1,550 

4,435 

2,130 

277 

210 

180 

003 

1,282 


359 

635 

571 

635 

210 

359 

166 

77 

28 

34 

57 

48 


1,292 
2,223 
1,662 
1,506 

580 
1,292 

570 

163 
90.5 

103 

134 

193 


3.15 
5.42 
4.05 
3.67 
1.41 
3.15 
1.39 
.398 
.221 
.251 
.327 
.471 


3.63 
5.64 
4.67 
4.10 
1.63 
3.51 
1.60 
.459 
.247 
.289 
.365 
. 543 


102 

103 

122 

113 

51 

54 

32 

14 

14 

12 

20 

37 


3.57 
5.50 
3.82 
3.64 
3.18 
6.50 
4.96 
3.18 
1.77 
2.36 
1.78 
1.47 


-0.06 


February 

March 


- .14 

- .85 




- .46 




1.55 


Tune 


2.99 


July 


3.36 




2.72 




1.52 




2.07 


November 


1.42 


December 


.93 






The year... 


9.070 


28 


817 


1.99 


26.68 


64. 


41.73 


15.05 


1904.6 


4,720 

3,030 

4,340 

2,195 

3,210 

786 

425 

99 

30 

68 

51 

1,660 


110 

224 

484 

372 

302 

134 

60 

9 

6 

12 

15 

15 


643 

795 

1,433 

937 

792 

392 

160 

37 

17 

28 

34 

243 


l.,58 
1.96 
3. 53 
2.31 
1.95 
.966 
% .394 
.091 
.042 
.069 
.084 
.599 


1.82 
2.11 
4.07 
2.58 
2.25 
1.08 
.454 
.105 
.047 
.080 
.094 
.691 


59 

108 

163 

98 

70 

27 

12 

6 

3 

5 

17 

24 


3.07 
1.96 
2.50 
2.62 
3.20 
3.95 
3.69 
1.96 
1.81 
1.76 
.54 
2.92 


1.25 


February 


- .15 


March 


-1.57 




.04 


May :-.- 


.95 


June 


2.87 


July 


3.24 




1.85 


September 


1.76 




1.68 


November 


. 45 


December 


2.23 








4,720 


fl 


459 


1.13 


15.38 


51 


29.98 


14.60 


1905. (> 


, 3, 210 
484 
7,420 
830 
1,914 
l,fi05 
2,400 
1,775 
1,020 
1,718 
1,385 
2,895 


99 
99 

282 

161 

191 

242 

161 

88 

51 

30 

148 

208 


360 
232 
2,484 
585 
496 
588 
653 
376 
195 
348 
267 
815 


.887 
..571 
0.12 
1.44 
1.22 
1.45 
1.61 
.926 
.480 
.857 
.658 
2.01 


1.02 
.595 
7.06 
1.61 
1.41 
1.62 
1.86 
1.07 
.536 
.988 
.734 
2.32 


33 
34 
201 
82 
49 
40 
28 
28 
25 
24 
31 
74 


3.13 
1.75 
3.52 
1.97 
2.87 
4.03 
6.55 
3.88 
2.16 
4.08 
2.36 
3.13 


2.11 




1.16 


March 


-3. 54 




.36 




1.46 


June 


2.41 


July 


4.69 


August 


2.81 


September 


1.62 




3.09 


November 


1.63 


December 


.81 






The year . . 


7,420 


30 


617 


1.52 


20.82 


53 


39.43 


18.61 


1906. 
Januarv 


7,500 
488 

5,710 

4, 515 
740 

2,078 
224 


327 
88 
121 
700 
109 
160 
70 


1,255 
220 
1,161 
2,013 
323 
413 
120 


3.06 
..537 

2.83 

4.91 
.788 

1.01 
.293 


3. 53 
.559 

3.20 

5.48 
.908 

1.13 
.163 
















March 








April . -■ . . . 
















.Tune 








July 1-15 













1 Discharge interpolated October 7-15, 1903. 

6 Drainage area of 406 square miles used to obtain 1904 and 1905 run-off. 



STEEAM FLOW : GEORGES CREEK. 



55 



GEORGES CREEK AT WESTERNPORT, MD. 

Georges Creek rises on Mount Savage, in the northwestern part of 
Allegany County, Md., and flows southwestward into North Branch 
of Potomac River at Westernport. Its length is about 15 miles. 

The gaging station was established May 4, 1905, and was discon- 
tinued July 16, 1906. It is located at a highway bridge in Western- 
port, Md., about one-half mile above the mouth of the creek. 

Above the station the channel is straight for about 50 feet and then 
makes a sharp bend. Below the station it is straight for 300 feet. 
The current is swift. Both banks are fairly high, clean, and do not 
overflow. The bed of the stream is rocky and shifting. There is but 
one channel at all stages. 

Discharge measurements were made from the upstream side of the 
bridge to which the gage is attached. The initial point for soundings 
is the inside face of the left abutment, upstream side. 

A standard chain gage is attached to the middle of the upstream 
side of the bridge. The length of the chain from the end of the weight 
to the marker is 16.23 feet. The gage was read twice each day by 
G. A. Biggs. Bench mark No. 1 is the top of the downstream bed- 
plate at the left abutment, on the downstream corner toward the 
railroad track. Its elevation is 11.58 feet above the datum of the 
gage. Bench mark No. 3 is the top of the pulley wheel of the gage. 
Its elevation was 15.88 feet above the datum of the gage May 4, 1905. 

The bed of Georges Creek at the gaging section is rather unstable 
and subject to frequent changes on account of the high velocity of 
the current. The estimates are therefore subject to varying errors of 
from 5 to 20 per cent of the true flow. Ice conditions did not affect 
the estimates during the winter of 1905-6. 

Discharge measurements of Georges Creek at Westernport, Md. 



Date. 



1905, 

April 18 

May 4 

June 7 

July 17 

November 7. . . . 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
1.60 
1.35 
1.98 
1.58 
1.35 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
53 
33 
131 
43 
45 



Date. 



190(i 

MfTCh le 

March 30 

April 10 

May 28 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
1.49 
3.38 
2.50 
2.25 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 

65 

1,230 

476 

353 



56 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Georges Creek at Westernport, Md. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 












1.45 

1.45 

1.38 

1.3 

1.25 

1.2 

1.98 

1.58 

1.42 

1.35 

2.05 
1.98 
1.85 
1.72 
1.62 

1.52 

1.5 

1.48 

1.4 

1.55 

1.48 

1.42 

1.38 

1.5 

1.55 

1.4 

1.32 

1.25 

1.22 

1.2 

1.05 

1.55 

1.55. 

1.32 

1.6 

1.68 
2.22 
2.25 
1.95 
1.8 

1.72 

1.75 

1.75 

1.7 

1.62 

1.55 

1.25 

1.2 

1.2 

1.35 

1.35 


1.38 
1..58 
1.32 
1.48 
1.52 

1.48 
3.45 
3.38 
2.05 
2.15 

2.05 

1.98 

1.92 

1.8 

1.7 

1.62 

1.52 

1.42 

1.32 

1.4 

1.38 

1.35 

1.7 

1.48 

1.22 

1.18 

1.15 

1.15 

1.2 

1.45 

1.38 

1.18 
1 15 


1.22 

1.12 

1.1 

1.1 

1.08 

1.05 
1.05 
1.05 
1.05 
1.05 

1.08 
1.12 
1.15 
1.12 
1.28 

1.25 
1.12 
1.05 
1.02 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
.98 
.92 
1.72 

1.65 

1.45 

1.25 

1.1 

1.12 

1.08 


1.05 
1.05 
1.08 
1.12 
1.1 

1.1 

1.05 

1.0 

1.0 

1.28 

2.55 

1.9 

1.05 

1.5 

1.42, 

1.32 

1.38 

1.28 

1.22 

1.18 

1.12 

1.1 

1.05 

1.05 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 
.95 
.95 


0.95 

1.28 

1.18 

1.1 

1.05 

1.02 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
.98 

1.75 
1.55 
1.25 
1.12 
1.08 

1.05 

1.0 

1.0 

1.18 

2.3 

1.65 

1.52 

1.48 

1.42 

1.52 

2.02 
1.85 
1.72 
1.62 
1.52 
1.5 


1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.38 

1.4 

1.52 

1.4 

1.32 

1.25 

1.2 

1.12 
1.1 
1.05 
1.0 
.95 

.98 
1.0 
1.0 
1.02 
1.02 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.08 

1.05 

1.08 

1.1 

1.55 

1.65 


1.62 


2. 












1.8 


3 












2.35 


4. 


1 






1.45 
1.4 

1.42 

1.5 

1.4 

1.35 

1.38 

1.38 
1.5 
1.38 
1.48 
1.72 

1.68 

1.65 

1.62 

1.58 

1.52 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.38 

1.28 

1.28 

1.25 

1.3 

1.3 

1.28 

1.32 

1.68 
1.72 
1.62 
1.52 
1.5 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.42 
.4 

1.3 

1.32 

1.32 

1.25 

1.22 

1.2 

1.2 

1.15 

1.15 

1.1 

1.1 

2.02 

2.08 

2.2 

1.95 

1.88 


2.22 


5 








2 12 


6... 








2.55 


7 








2 35 


8- ' ... 


1 






2.22 


9 








2.12 


10. 


1 






2.02 


11 


! 






1 9 


12. 








1.88 


13 










1.82 


14 










1.78 


15.. 










1.42 


16 










1.45 


17 










1 3 


18 










1.3 


19. 










1.35 


20- . . 










1.4 


21 










3.4 


22. 










3.08 


23 










2.2 


24 










2.2 


25. . 










2. 12 


26 










2.15 


27. 










1.98 


28 










1.95 


29 










2.08 


30.. 










1.88 


31 i 








1.75 


1 
1905. i 

1 ! 1 . fis 


1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.72 

1.68 

1.65 

1.6 

1.55 

1.52 

1.5 

1.45 

1.45 

1.42 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.45 

1.45 

1.4 
1.35 
1.32 
1.3 

1.3 

1.38 

1.42 


1.6 

1.78 

2.05 

2.1 

2.02 

1.98 

1.8 

1.75 

1.68 

1.6 

1.55 

1.52 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 
1.32 
1.32 
1.38 
1.5 

1.55 
1.58 
1.55 
1.58 
1.6 

1.68 

2.62 

3.2 

3.2 

3.42 

3.45 


3.18 
2.98 
2.88 
2.92 
2.85 

2 52 
2.32 
2.32 
2.55 
2.58 

2.32 
2.32 
2.22 
2.22 
2.2 

2.22 
2.12 
2.12 
2.22 
2.0 

2.05 

1.9 

1.88 

1.88 

1.82 

1.9 

1.85 

1.75 

1.7 

1.72 






1.55 
2.3 
2.58 
2.45 

2.38 

2.2 

2.2 

1.88 

1.95 

1.95 

2.0 

1.95 

1.88 

1.78 

1.82 

2.0 

2.05 

2.12 

2.15 

2.18 
2.22 
3.28 
3.08 
2.68 

2.2 

2.12 

2.1 

2.05 

1.98 

1.9 













3 


1.15 

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

1.05 

1.05 

1.05 

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

1.05 

1.02 












4 








1 


5. . 












6 












7.. 












8 












9 












10 












11 












12 












13 












14 












15 












16 












17 














18 














19 














20 














21 














22 


1 35 












23 


1.38 
■ 1.4 
1.3 

1.32 

1.38 

1.25 

1.2 

1.2 














24 














25 














26 














27 














28 














29 














30 














31 































STREAM FLOW : GEORGES GREEK. 



57 



Rating tables for Georges Creek at Westernport, Md. 

MAY 4, 1-905, TO JUNE 6, 1905.3 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feel. 
1.20 
1.30 
1.40 
1.50 


Second-feet. 
22 
29 
38 
50 . 


Feet. 
1.60 
1.70 
1.80 


Second-feet. 
66 
87 
112 



JUNE 7 TO SEPTEIMBER 10, 1905.6 



Gage 
height. 

Feet. 


Discharge. 

Second-feet. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 

Feet. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Second-feet. 


0.90 


5 


1.60 


48 


2.30 


252 


3.00 


700 


1.00 


8 


1.70 


64 


2.40 


301 


■3.10 


780 


1.10 


11 


1.80 


84 


2.50 


3.55 


3.20 


865 


1.20 


15 


1.90 


108 


2.60 


415 


3.30 


955 


1.30 


20 


2.00 


137 


2.70 


480 


3.40 


1,045 


1.40 


27 


2.10 


170 


2.80 


550 


3.50 


1,140 


1.50 


36 


2.20 


208 


2.90 


625 







SEPTEMBER 11, 1905, TO JULY 15, 1906.c 



0.90 


10 


1.70 


115 


2.50 


495 


3.30 


1,150 


1.00 


15 


1.80 


_ 145 


2.60 


560 


3.40 


1,250 


1.10 


21 


1.90 


^ 180 


2.70 . 


630 


3.50 


1,350 


■ 1.20 


29 


2.00 


220 


2.80 


705 


3.60 


1,4.55 


1.30 


39 


2.10 


265 


2.90 


785 


3.70 


1,.560 


1.40 


52 


2.20 


315 


3.00 


870 


3.80 


1,670 


1.50 


69 


2.30 


370 


3.10 


960 


3.90 


1,780 


1.60 


90 


2.40 


430 


3.20 


1,055 


4.00 


1,895 



a This table is based on one discharge measurement made during 1905 and the lorm oJ the 1906 curve. 
It is not well defined. 

b This table is based on three discharge measurements made during 1905 and the form of the 1906 curve. 
It is fairly well defined between gage heights 1.5 feet and 2.0 feet. 

c This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on five discharge meas- 
urements made during 1905 and 1906. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 1.3 feet and 3.5 feet. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Georges Creeh at Westernport, Md. 
[Drainage area, 76 square miles.] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per 
square mile. 



Depth in 
inches. 



1905. 

May 4-31 

June 

July. 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1906. 

January ". 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-15 



92 
154 
1,092 
68 
528 
370 
102 
1,250 



1,131 
145 
1,300 
1,036 
315 
342 
27 



39 
42 
115 
21 
29 
16 



44.8 
45.7 

127 
15.1 
46.4 
65.8 
33.8 

267 



320 
71.2 

260 

378 
83.0 
91.4 
20.8 



0.589 
.601 

1.67 
.199 
.611 
.866 
.445 

3.51 



4.21 
.937 
3.42 
4.97 
1.09 
1.20 
.274 



0.613 
.670 

1.92 
.229 
.682 
.998 
.496 

4.05 



4.85 
.976 
3.94 
5.54 
1.26 
1.34 
.153 



58 



THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN. 



WILLS CEEEK AT CTJMBERLAND, MD. 

Wills Creek rises on the western slope of Savage Mountain, in the 
southeastern part of Somerset County, Pa., and flows northwestward 
to Mance, eastward to HjTidman, Pa., and southward to Cumberland, 
Md., where it enters North Branch of Potomac River. Its length is 
about 25 miles. 

The gaging station was established May 5, 1905, and was discon- 
tinued July 15, 1906. It is located at the highway bridge at the upper 
end of "The Narrows," Cumberland, Md. 

The channel is straight for 200 feet above and 500 feet below the 
station. The current is fairly swift. Both banks are liigh and do not 
overflow. The bed of the stream is rocky, very rough, and permanent. 
There are two channels at all but very low stages. 

Discharge measurements were made from the downstream side of 
the two-span bridge to which the gage is fastened. The initial point 
for soundings is the face of the right abutment. 

A standard chain gage is fastened to the downstream side of the 
bridge, near the middle of the right span. The length of the chain 
from the end of the weight to the marker is 26.98 feet. The gage was 
read twice each day by H. E. McKenzie. Bench mark No. 1 is a 
square chisel draft on the top of the bridge-seat stone at the dowm- 
stream side of the right abutment. Its elevation is 21.88 feet above 
the datum of the gage. Bench mark No. 2 is the top of the pulley 
wheel of the gage. Its elevation was 26.65 feet above the datum of 
the gage March 17, 1906. 

Estimates are considered to be within 5 per cent of the true flow. 
Ice conditions probably did not affect the flow during the winter of 
1905-6. 

Discharge measurements of Wills Creek at Cumberland, Md. 



Date. 



1905. 

April 17 

May 6 

Juries 

November 6 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


4.20 


230 


3.72 


130 


4.22 


248 


3.68 


130 1 

1 



Date. 



1906 

March 17 

.\.pril2 

April 10 

April 11 

May26 



heil.t. Discharge. 



Feet. Sc(ond-feet. 
4.01 , 175 

6.32 1,486 

6.0.T 1,200 

5. £8 1,066 

3.27 55 



STREAM flow: WILLS CREEK. 
Daily gage height, infect, of Wills Creek at Cumberland, Md. 



59 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 












3.72 

3.95 

3.82 

3.7 

3.68 

3.6 

4.2 

4.25 

4.05 

3.9 

6.2 

5.42 

4.88 

4.48 

4.25 

4.52 

3.9 

3.9 

3.9 

3.7 

4.05 
4.15 
4. .32 
4.45 
4.5' 

4.38 

4.3 

4.02 

3..9 

3.72 

3.5 

3.48 
3.38 
3.3 
3.5 

3.65 

6.6 

5.5 

4.75 

4.3 

4.0 

3.8 

3.78 

3.72 

3.68 

3.6 

3.55 

3.62 

3.85 

3.9 

3.88 

3.78 

3.78 

3.7 

3.58 

3.52 

3.5 

3.55 

3.5 

3.38 


3.65 

4.0 

3.75 

3.65 

3.6 

3.58 

6.58 

6.7 

5.7 

5.42 

5.05 

4.7 

4.6 

4.98 

4.58 

4.32 

4.1 

3.85 

3.82 

4,25 

4^32 
3.98 
3.8 

3 68 

3.0 

3.55 

3.6 

3.85 

3.65 

3.35 

3.3 

3.25 

3.25 

3.2 

3.18 

3.15 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 
3.18 
3.08 
3.02 


3.55 

3.45 

3.4 

3.3 

3.3 

3.28 

3.2 

3.18 

3.15 

3.08 

3.1 

3.8 

3.48 

3.45 

5.85 

4.85 
4.35 
4.02 
3.85 
3.72 

3. 68 
3.52 
3.42 
3.32 
5.1 

4.58 
4.18 
3.98 
3.82 
4.08' 
3.72 


3.62 

3.55 

3.6 

3.55 

3.45 

3.38 

3.32 

3.22 

3.2 

3.18 

5.25 

5.0 

4.6 

4.15 

3.98 

3.82 
3.72 
3.78 
3.68 
3.55 

.3.45 

3.4 

3.32 

3.28 

3.18 

3.15 

3.1 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 


3.05 

3.2 

3.35 

3.3 

3.18 

3.08 

3.0 

3.0 

3.0 

3.0 

4.05 

4.0 

3.72 

3.55 

3.42 

3.4 

3.32 

3.3 

3.3 

5.15 

4.65 
4. ,38 
4.15 
4.02 
3.9 

4.45 
4.25 
4.18 
4.12 
4.02 
4.0- 


3.92 

3.8 

3.75 

3.75 

3.65 

3.65 

3.65 

3.6 

3.6 

3.55 

3.5 

3.45 

3.42 

3.4 

3.35 

3.38 

3.45 

3.4 

3.35 

3.3 

3.25 

3.2. 

3.25 

3.3 

3.35 

3.3 
3.25 
3; 25 
5.1 
4.88 



4.52 


2 












4.38 


3 












7.08 


4 












6.22 


5 












5.45 


6 










3.7 

4.0 

3.82 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

4.08 

3.98 

4.05 

5.42 

5.08 

4.85 

4.6 

4.45 

4.28 

4.1 
4.0 
3 92 


5.02 


7 










4.7 


8 










4.5 


9 










4.38 


10. .;.:.; ;:: ;: 








4.25 


11 ...; 











4,05 


12 










4.02 


13 










3.98 


14 










3.8 












3.55 












3.42 


17 










3.32 












3.68 


19 








3.92 


20 








3.75 












6.6 


22 










6.25 


23 










5 8 


24 










3.82 
3 72 


5.32 


25 










5.0 












3 02 


4.75 


27 










3.98 

3.7 

3.6 

3.52 

3.52 

4.02 
4.25 
4.18 
4.08 
4.0 

4.0 

3.9 

3.88 

.3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.75 

3.7 

3.65 

3.6 

3.55 

3.6 

3.52 

3.48 

3.45 

3.45 

3.4 

3.4 

3.35 

3.3 

3.3 

3.5 

3.9 

3.65 

3.55 

3.4 


4.55 


28 










4.35 


29 










5.22 


30 










5.05 


31 










4.65 


1906. 
1 


4.45 
4.25 
4.45 
5.95 
5.78 

5.5 

5.12 

4.95 

4.65 

4.38 

4.32 

4.45 

4.42 

4.4 

4.45 

4.7 

5.0 

4.88 

5.1 

5.02 

5.12 

5.25 

7.3 

6.95 

5.88 

5.48 

5.08 

4.9 

4.75 

4.55 

4.42 


4.25 

4.05 

3.7 

4.02 

4.02 

3.7 

3.6 

3.68 

3.75 

3.75. 

3.7 

3.7 

3.6 

3.68 

3.65 

3.6 

3.55 

3.5 

3.5 

3.5 

3.7 

3.68 

3.58 

3.55 

3.65 

3.5 
3.5 

3.5 


3.5 

3.5 

4.15 

5.25 

4.6 

4.25 

4.25 

4.3 

4.22 

4.18 

4.12 
4.08 
4.02 
4.05 
4.05 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.18 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 

6.1 

7.7 

7.2 

7.05 

7.9 


6.7 
6.3 
6.3 
6.2 
6.32 

6.32 

5.45 

5.3 

5.6 

6.0 

5.9 

5.6 

5.42 

5.1 

6.3 

5.92 

5.58 
5.32 
5.02 
4.88 

4.72 
4.68 
4.62 
4.52 
4.5 

4.45 

4.4 

4.32 

4.22 

4.12 




2 












3 












4 












5 




, 








6 












7 












8 












9 












10 












11 












12 












13 












14. 












15 












16 














17 














18 














19 














20 














21 














22 














23 














24 ... 














25 














26 ... 














27 














■28 














^9 














JO 














31 































IRE 192—07- 



60 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Rating tablefor Wills Creek at Cumberland, Aid., from May 6, 190.5, to July I4, 1906.<^ 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


SecoTid-feet. 


Feet. 


SecoTid^feei. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


3.00 


30 


4.30 


270 


5.00 


860 


6.80 


2,030 


3.10 


38 


4.40 


301 


5.70 


930 


6.90 


2,160 


3.20 


48 


4.50 


334 


5.80 


1,005 


7.00 


2,295 


3.30 


60 


4.60 


368 


5.90 


1,085 


7.10 


2,435 


3.40 


73 


4.70 


404 


6.00 


1,170 


7.20 


2,575 


3.50 


88 


4.80 


442 


6.10 


1,260 


7.30 


2,720 


3.60 


104 


4.90 


482 


6.20 


1,355 


7.40 


2,870 


3.70 


122 


5.00 


525 


6.30 


1,455 


7.50 


3,020 


3.80 


142 


5.10 


570 


6.40 


1,560 


7.60 


3,170 


3.90 


164 


5.20 


620 


6.60 


1,670 


7.70 


3,320 


4.00 


188 


5.30 


675 


6.60 


1,785 


7.80 


3,480 


4.10 


214 


5.40 


735 


6.70 


1,905 


7.90 


3,640 


4.20 


241 


5.5 


795 











a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on nine discharge 
measurements made during 1905 and 1906. It is well defined between gage heights 3.0 feet and 6.5 feet. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Wills Greek at Cumberland, Md. 
[Drainage area, 240 square miles.] 



Month. 



1905. 

May 6-31 

June 

July -. 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1906. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-14 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



747 

1,355 

1,905 

1,045 

647 

595 

570 

2,407 



2,720 
256 
3,640 
1,905 
. 256 
1,785 



Minimum. 



91 
104 
96 
36 
34 
30 
48 
63 



256 



219 



60 
32 



Mean. 



221 
272 
353 
174 
128 
149 
115 
529 



637 
122 
626 
806 
126 
207 
44.1 



Run-oll. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



0.921 

1.13 

1.47 

.725 

.533 

.621 

.479 

2.20 



2.65 
.508 
2.61 
3.36 
.525 
.862 
.186 



Depth in 
inches. 



0.S91 

1.26 • 

1.70 
.836 
.595 
.716 
.534 

2.54 



3.06 

.529 
3.01 
3.75 
.605 
.962 
.097 



NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER AT CUMBERLAND, MD. a. 

Gage-height records were obtained at this station from june 11, 
1894, to November 20, 1897. The gage was located about 1,000 ieet 
below the mouth of Wills Creek and consisted of a vertical rod 10 feet 
long, bolted to the east side of the abutment of the head-gate of the 
eastern feeder of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, just above the diver- 
sion dam. The top of the rod, or the 10.00-foot mark, was 5.40 Cect 
below the top of the abutment. The crest of the dam was at elevation 
about 2.65 feet above the datum of the gage, hence for stages below 
that point no water passed the gaging section, which was below the 
dam, all flow being diverted to the canal. Discharge measurements of 
the river were made from the West Virginia Central Railroad bridge, 
about 200 yards below the dam. The channel is straight both above 



a For description of Weather Bureau station maintained at this point see p. 42. 



STREAM flow: NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 



61 



and below the bridge. The left bank does not overflow; the right bank 
is liable to overflow at times of high water. The bed of the stream is 
composed of bowlders and loose rocks and is not liable to change. At 
high water the section is fairly smooth and the velocity high. At low 
water rocks, rifiles, and angular currents appear, making it difficult to 
obtain accurate discharge measurements. Measurements of the canal 
feeders were also made near the head-gates. 

All estimates previously published for this station have been revised. 
The monthly discharge as given in the accompanying table is for the 
section at the bridge onlj, the flow diverted to the canal feeders not 
being included, as it is an uncertain function of the total discharge of 
the river. (See discharge measurements.) No statement of the run- 
off is given, because the flow in the canal is a large percentage of the 
total run-off of the drainage basin above Cumberland. 

Owing to the poor conditions at this station the measureraents plot 
somewhat erratically, but since the rating curve is defined by a large 
number of measurements the monthly estimates which are based on 
it are probably within 10 per cent of the true results for normal con- 
ditions of flow above gage height 3.0 feet. Estimates for stages below 
3.0 feet are somewhat uncertain. Ice conditions at this station were 
not recorded by the observer. It is probable, however, that ice col- 
lecting at the crest of the dam may at times have affected the gage 
heights, and hence the estimates. 



Discharge measurements of North Branch of Potomac River at Cumberland, Md. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge 
of river. 


Discharge 
ol canal 
feeders. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge 
of river. 


Discharge 
of canal 
feeders. 


1894. 
May 24. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 
3,037 

3,446 
6,054 
630 
1,728 
777 
831 
216 
530 
149 
266 


Second-feet. 


1896. 

June 24 

August 6 

November 18 . . 

1897. 
February 10... 

March 27 

June 25 

September 1... 
September 22.. 

1898. 
May 12 


Feet. 
3.31 
3.30 
3.38 

3.75 
3.93 
3.00 
2.60 
2.70 

3.80 


Second-feet. 
696 
552 
548 

1,307 

1,971 

289 



7 

1,659 


Second-feet. 
126 


1895. 
March 30 


4.50 
5.40 
3.30 
3.75 
3.40 
3.40 
2.95 
3.10 
3.00 
3.05 




54 
217 


April 10 .. 






April 25 






May 3 




24 


May 9 




136 


May 23.. . 


45 
40 
79 
38 
79 


86 


June 5 


85 


June 6 




June 13 




July 17 


170 









62 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, infRet, of North Branch of Potomac River at Cumierlavd, Md. 



Day. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. July. 



Aug. Sept, 



Oct. Nov. 



Dec. 



11. 
12. 
13. 

14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 

20. 

21. 
22. 
2.3. 
24. 
25. 



26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



3. 
4. 
5. 

6. 

7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 

11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18- 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



1894. 



1895. 



3.0 


a 6 


:to 


ae 


3.0 


a 5 


3.0 


a 5 


3.0 


as 


3.1 


a.5 


4.8 


a5 


6.0 


as 


4.8 


as 


47 


as 


41 


as 


as 


a4 


3.5 


a 4 


3.5 


a 4 


3.5 


a 4 


3.9 


a 3 


3.9 


a 4 


3.9 


a 4 


3.8 


a 4 


3.8 


a 4 


3.9 


a 4 


46 


a4 


40 


a 4 


3.7 


a 4 


3.6 


a 4 


3.5 


a 6 


3.5 


41 


3.4 


5.0 


a4 




.a 7 




a 7 





6.0 
S.7 
49 
46 
42 

40 

a8 
a 8 

42 
40 

40 

as 
as 

45 
48 

5.2 
47 
45 
43 
41 

as 
a 7 
a 7 
a 7 
a 7 

45 
43 
43 
5.1 
45 
4 5 



a 9 


a 4 


as 


as 


4 4 


as 


a 9 


a 6 


as 


a 6 


a7 


a 4 


a 6 


as 


as 


a 2 


S.6 


a 4 


5.5 


a 2 


47 


a 2 


47 


a7 


as 


a 7 


as 


a 7 


as 


as 


as 


as 


as 


a 4 


a 7 


a 4 


a 6 


a 4 


as 


as 


a 4 


a 4 


a 4 


a4 


as 


a 4 


a 3 


a 4 


a 2 


as 


a 3 


a 2 


as 


as 


as 


a 2 


as 


ai 


a 4 


ai 




ai 



as 
a 4 
a 4 
as 
as 

as 
as 
as 
as 
a 2 

ai 
ai 
a 4 
a 4 
as 

as 
as 
as 
a 2 
ao 



ao 
ao 
ao 

2.9 
2.9 

ao 
ao 
ao 

2.9 
2.9 

2.9 
2.8 
2.8 

as 
as 

a 2 
a 2 
ai 
ao 
ao 

2.9 

ao 
ao 
ao 

2.9 

ao 
ao 
as 
a 2 
ao 



2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 

2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.7 
2.6 

2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.0 

1.9 
1.5 
2.0 

ao 
ao 

2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.7 
2.8 
2.9 

ai 

a4 

as 
ai 
ai 

a 2 
a 2 
a 2 
as 
a 7 

a 4 
a2 
a 2 



ao 
ao 
ai 
ai 

2.9 

2.8 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.1 

2.0 
2.1 
2.0 

ao 
ao 

2.9 
2.8 
2.7 
2.0 
1.9 

1.9 
2.5 

ao 

2.8 
2.8 

2.5 
1.9 
1.8 
1.3 
1.0 



2.S 
2.7 

2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

2.4 
2.4 

2.4 



a 3 I 2. 3 



as 


2.2 


as 


2.1 


ao 


2.0 


ao 


1.9 


2.9 


1.8 


2.9 


1.7 


2.7 


1.6 


2.7 


1.3 


2.7 


1.2 


2.7 


1.1 


2.7 


1.0 


2.7 


.9 


2.7 


.9 


2.8 


.9 


2.9 


.9 


2.9 


.8 


2.8 


.9 



.5 
.6 
.6 
.5 

1.0 
1.0 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.2 
1.2 
1.3 

1.4 
1.7 
2.9 
2.9 

ai 

a2 
a 2 

2.9 
2.9 
2.8 

2.7 
2.7 
2.5 
2.0 
l.S 



1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

.9 

.9 

.9 



.7 

.5 

.5 

.6 

1.1 

1.2 

1.0 



.7 
.5 

.4 
.3 
.2 
.1 
(a) 



1.7 

ao 

2.8 
2.7 
2.5 

2.3 
1.7 
1.5 
1.6 
1.9 

2.0 

ao 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 

2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.2 
1.9 

l.S 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
2.0 



as 
as 
as 
ao 

2.9 

ao 
ao 
ao 
ai 
ai 

a 2 
ai 
ai 
ai 
ao 

ao 

ao I 
ao 

2.3 i 
2.3 

ai 
ao 
ao 
ao 
a 2 

ai 
ao 
ao 
ao 
ao 



a Water surface below gage zero September 25 to December 21, 1895. 



STREAM flow: NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 63 

DaUy gage height, in feet, of North Branch of Potomac River at Cumberland, Md. — Cont'd. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


A.ug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Deo. 


1896. 
1 


2.9 
2.9 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.9 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.1 
3.5 

3.3 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
3.7 
4.2 

3.2 
3.2 
3.3 
3.3 
4.0 

4.0 
3.7 
3.4 
3.3 
3.4 

3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 

3.2 
3.4 
3.7 
3.5 
3.4 

3.4 
3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.3 

3.3 
3.3 
3.3 
3.3 
3.3 
3.3 


4.6 
4.8 
4.0 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
4.5 
3.9' 
3.0 
3.4 

3.1 
3.3 
4.9 
4.1 
3.8 

3.8 
3.5 
3.5 
3.2 
3.2 

3.2 
3.2 
3.3 
3.1 
3.3 

3.3 
3.3 
3.2 
3.7 

3.4 
3.5 
3.6 
3.4 
3.4 

3.5 
4.5 
4.2 
4.0 
3.7 

3.6 
3.5 
3.7 
4.0 
4.2 

4.7 
4.5 
5.0 
4.8 
3.5 

3.5 
10.5 
8.7 
6.2 
5.1 

4.5 
4.3 
4.0 


3.9 
3.7 
3.0 
3.3 
3.1 

3.1 
3.1 
3.6 
3.4 
3.3 

3.3 
3.4 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.2 
3.3 
3.3 
3.5 
3.6 

3.7 
3.7 
4,0 
3.9 
3.7 

4.0 
5.0 
4.5 
5.8 
8.0 
6.0 

4.0 
3.8 
3.9 
5.2 
4.9 

6.0 
5.0 
4.4 
4.6 

4.2 

4.0 
4.0 
3.9 
3.8 
4.0 

3.8 
3.7 
4.0 
4.5 
4.8 

4.6 
42 
4.0 
4.2 
4.1 

4.0 
3.9 
3.8 
3.7 
3.6 
3.6 


5.0 

4.8 
4.4 
4.2 
3.8 

3.8 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 

3.7 
4.3 
4.3 
4.1 
3.9 

3.8 
3.8 
3.7 
3.5 
3.5 

3.5 
3.5 
3.3 
3.4 
3.5 

3.5 
3.5 
3.5 
3.5 
3.4 

3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.7 
3.8 

3.7 
3.6 
5.2 
5.4 
4.5 

4.5 
4.1 
4.0 
3.8 
3.9 

3.9 
3.7 
3.7 
3.6 
3.7 

3.5 
3.3 
3.3 
3.3 
3.2 

3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 


4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
3.4 

3.3 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 

2.9 
2.9 
3.5 
3.5 
3.3 

3.2 
3.1 
3.4 
3.5 
3.8 

3.8 
3.6 
3.4 
3.4 
3.5 

3.5 
4.0 
3.7 
4.1 
4.0 
3.8 

3.5 
7.5 
5.5 
5.0 
4.6 

4.1 
4.1 
3.9 
3.7 
3.7 

3.6 
4.0 
4.4 
5.4 
4.6 

4.3 
3.9 
3.8 
3.7 
3.5 

3.3 
3.3 
3.3 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 


3.6 
3.5 
3.4 
3.5 
3.3 

3.3 
3.8 
3.7 
3.4 
3.4 

3.4 
3.4 
3.2 
3.2 
3.3 

3.3 
3.7 
4.1 
3.7 
3.6 

3.3 
3.3 
3.2 
3.5 
3.5 

3.0 
3.5 
3.3 
3.3 
3.2 

2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.9 
2.7 

2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
3.0 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 


3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.1 
3.1 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
3.1 
3.7 

3.4 
3.3 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 
3.0 
3.3 
3.1 
3.1 

3.3 
4.0 
4.7 
4.6 
10.0 

6.5 
4.7 
4.9 
4.5 
4.5 
4.5 

2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.6 
2.6 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.8 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 

2.8 
2.7 
2.8 
2.8 
2.9 

3.2 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 

2.9 
3.2 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 


3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.7 
3.3 

3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.4 
3.4 

3.3 
3.3 
3.1 
3.6 
3.5 

3.3 
3.1 
3.0 

2.9 
2.9 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.2 
3.0 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 

3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
3.5 

3.2 
3.1 
3.2 
3.1 
3.0 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
3.0 

3.0 
2.9 
2.8 
2.9 
2.9 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.8 
2.6 


2.6 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.8 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.8 
2.7 
2.9 
3.0 
3.1 

3.5 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 

3.0 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
10.0 

2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 
2.2 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 

1.7 
1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.3 

1.2 
1.2 
3.2 
3.0 
2.9 

-2.8 
2.7 
2.6 
2.8 
3.0 

3.0 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 


5.5 
4.5 
4.5 
3.5 
3.4 

3.3 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 

3.0 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
,3.0 

3,0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.3 
3.7 

3.5 
3.2 
3.2 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

2.2 
2.0 
1.9 
1.7 
. 1.7 

1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.4 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.5 
1.6 

1.6 
1.7 
1.7 
2.4 
2.7 
2.7 


3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
.3,2 
3,2 

5.5 
4.5 
3.8 
3.8 
3.7 

3.6 
3.5 
3.5 
3.4 
3.2 

3.1 
3.1 
3.2 
3.3 
.3.3 

3.2 
3.3 
3.3 
3.4 
3.3 

3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.9 
4.0 

2.8 
3,0 
3,0 
3.1 
3.0 

2.9 
2.9 
3.0 
4.0 
3.4 

3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.5 

3.5 
3.4 
3.3 
3.3 
3.2 


3.7 


2 


3.5 


3 


3.4 


4 


3 3 


5 


3 3 


6 


3 3 


7 


3.3 


8 


3 2 


9 


3 3 


10 


3.3 


11 


3 4 


12 


3 6 


13 . 


3.4 


14 


3 3 




3,3 


16 


3,3 


17 


3.3 


18 


3.3 


19 . , 


3.3 




3 3 


21 


3.2 


22 


3.2 


23 


3.2 


24 - - . 


3.2 




3.2 


26 


3.2 


27 


3.1 


28 


3,1 


29 


3,1 




3.1 


31. 


3,2 


1897. 
1 ... 




2 . 




3 




4 








6 




7 








9 




10 




11 




12 




13 




14 ... 








16 




17 




18 




19 








21 




22. . . 






23 - 






24 






25 












27. 






28 






29. 






30 






31 













64 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 



Rating table for North Branch of Potomac River at Cumberland, Md., from- June 11, 

1894, to November 20, 1897. a. 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


1 
Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


2.65 





3.70 


1,420 


4.80 


4,280 


5.90 


7,590 


2.70 


7 


3.80 


1,650 


4.90 


4,570 


6.00 


7,900 


2.80 


£0 


3.90 


1,890 


5.00 


4,860 , 


6.50 


9,500 


2.90 


135 


4.00 


2,130 


5.10 


5, 150 - 


7.00 


11,150 


3.00 


235 


4.10 


2,380 


5.20 


5,450 1 


7.50 


12,850 


3.10 


350 


4.20 


2,640 


5.30 


5,750 1 


8.00 


14,600 


3.20 


480 


4.30 


2,900 


5.40 


6,050 


8.50 


16,400 


3.30 


630 


4.40 


3,170 


5.50 


6,350 


9.00 


18, 250 


3.40 


800 


4.50 


3,440 


5.60 


6,660 


9.50 


20,150 


3.50 


990 


4.60 


3,720 


5.70 


6,970 


10.00 


22,100 


3.60 


1,200 


4.70 


4,000 


5.80 


7,280 


10.50 


24,100 



a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on 20 discharge 
measurements made during 1895-1898. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 3.0 feet and 5.5 
feet. Below 3.0 feet it is uncertain. The extension above 5.5 feet is probably fairly accurate. 

Estimated monthly discharge of North Branch of Potomac River at Cumberland, Md."' 



Month. 



1894. 

Juno 11-30 

July 

August - 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1895. 

January 

Februarj' 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year .. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



9£0 
235 
350 

480 

235 

990 

4.000 



4,860 

7.900 

6.660 

1,650 

630 

1,420 

50 









350 






1.35 



235 

630 

.420 

480 

350 

50 

.7 













6.32 
56.5 
77.5 
63.8 
47.0 

323 

547 



1,669 
1,099 
3,094 , 
1,810 
853 
267 
348 
2.5 



71.3 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 



1896. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1897. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 1-20 



2,640 


135 


4,570 


350 


1 14, 600 


235 


4,8C0 


630 


3,440 


135 


2,3S0 


480 


22, 100 


135 


1,650 


50 


22, 100 





6.350 


135 


6,350 


350 


1,420 


350 


22, 100 






2, 130 


480 


24,100 


800 


7,900 


1,200 


6,050 


135 


12,850 


135^ 


235 





480 





990 





480 





7 





2,130 


50 



357 

1,426 

2,024 

1,709 

1,275 

927 

2,224 

568 

916 

820 

1,073 

627 



801 
3,770 
2,704 
1,554 
2,156 

103 

132 

215 
55.6 
.45 

572 



o These estimates do not include flow in canal feeders. 



STREAM flow: NOKTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 



65 



MISCELLANEOUS DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS IN NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER 

BASIN, 

The following miscellaneous discharge measurements have been 
made in the basin of North Branch of Potomac River : 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements in North Branch of Potomac River drainage basin. 



Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width. 


Area of 
section. 


Mean 

veloe- 

ity. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Sept. 
Sept. 
Tnly 


24, 1897 
23, 1897 

17, 1905 
16, 1905 

25, 1897 
IC, 1905 
25, 1897 

25, 1897 

27, 1897 

27, 1897 

27 1897 

27, 1897 

28, 1897 

29 1897 
28, 1897 

28 1897 
28, 1897 

12, 1898 

13, 1898 

18, 1905 

25, 1897 
28, 1897 


Buffalo Creek 


At mouth near Bayard, W. 

Va. 
Near Gormania, W. Va 

do 


Feet. 
15 

61 

67 
12 

29 

45 

44 

IS 

36 

45 

20 
13 

9 

"9 

£0 

187 
22 

86 

86 
20 

12 

14 


Square 

feet. 

12 

74 

65 
9 

30 

57 
100 

. U 

62 

C4 

7.5 
12 

13 

4.9 

110 

268 
10 

262 

262 
12 

9 

5 


Feet 
per sec. 
L92 

.73 

.58 
Lll 

L27 

L37 

L36 

.39 

L97 

1.59 

.93 
.92 

.46 

.71 

L15 

.52 
L20 

1.45 

1.40 
1.50 

2.33 

. 2.40 


Second- 
feet. 
a 23 


North Branch of Po- 
tomac River. 
....do 


54 
38 


July 
Sept. 
July. 


Difficult Creek 

Stony River 


At mouth, 4 miles below Gor- 
mania, W. Va. 

200 yards above mouth near 
Schell, W. Va. 

500 feet above bridge near 
Gormania, W. Va. 

200 yards above mouth of 
Laurel Run near Schell, 
W. Va. 

100 yards above railroad 
bridge near Harrison, W. 
Va. 

100 yards above mouth of 
Savage River near Bloom- 
Ington, Md. 

Above mouth of Savage 
River and below Balti- 
more and Ohio R. R. 
bridge near Bloomington, 
Md. 

Above junction with North 
Branch of Potomac River 
near Bloomington, Md. 

J mile above mouth and 
above Piedmont water sup- 
ply intake near Blooming- 
ton, Md. 

At Cumberland and Pennsyl- 
vania R. R. bridge, 
Westernport, Md. 

150 yards above mouth near 
Keyser, W. Va. 

Near" Twenty-first, Md 

Near Gerstell, Md 


10 
38 


.do 


78 


Sept 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Oct. 


North Branch of Po- 
tomac River. 

Abram Creek 


136 
7.4 


North Branch of Po- 
tomac River. 

..do 


122 
102 


Sept. 


Savage River 


bl 


Oct. 

Sept. 

Sept. 
Oct. 
Oct. 


do 

Georges Creek 

New Creek 

North Branch of Po- 
tomac River, 
-do.. 


11 



a3. 5 

126 

138 


Sept. 
May 
May 


WiUs Creek 

do. 


Above paper mill near Cum- 
berland, Md. 

Pulp -mill bridge, Cumber- 
land, Md. 

. .do 


12 
381 


do 


368 


Tnly 


Town Drain 


Mechanics street bridge, 
Cumberland, Md. 

200 yards above railroad near 
Cumberland, Md. 

Baltimore and Ohio R. R 
bridge near Patterson De- 
pot, W. Va. 


6 18 


Sept. 


Evitts Creek 


21 


Sept. 


Patterson Creek 


12 



"Increased discharge caused by rain Sept. 23, 1897. 
6 Discharge does not include Piedmont water supply. 

c Discharge does not include water pumped to Baltimore and Ohio R. R. ear shops and two mills 
- where it is used for boiler feed. Creek stated to lie exceptionally low. 
d Measured at 7 a. m., when flow was 'argely house sewage. 



66 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 



SOUTH BRA]SrCII OF POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION, a 

The bed of South Branch of the Potomac is mostly coarse gravel, 
the banks are of loose sediment, and on account of the sudden and 
local swells to which the river is subject the channel is continually 
changing. At no places are there falls of any magnitude. The slope 
of the stream is as follows : 

Slope of South Branch of Potomac River. 



Localitjf. 



Mouth 

Opposite Romney 

Moorefield 

Petersburg 



Distancfi 

from 
mouth. 



Miles. 
0.0 

29.6 

53.6 

65.6 



Eleva- 
tion 
above 
. tide. 



Feet. 


127 

278 

375 



Distance 
between 
points. 



Miles. 
\ 29.6 



24.0 
12.0 



FaU 
between 
points. 



Feet. 
127 
151 
97 



Fall per 

mile 
between 
points. 



Feet. 



4.3 

6.3 
8.1 



SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER NEAR SPRINGFIELD, W. VA. 

A gaging station was first established at the Baltimore and Ohio 
Railroad bridge 3 miles southwest of Springfield, by C. C. Babb, June 
3, 1894. The channel above and below the station is straight and 
the water rather swift. The banks are liable to overflow at times of 
high water. The bed of the stream is composed of rock and gravel 
and is probably permanent. A wire gage 34.00 feet long was used. 
April 10, 1895, the gage datum was raised 1.00 foot. The bench 
mark was a cross cut in a broad capstone of the lower wall of the 
north abutment of the bridge. Its elevation was 28.18 feet above 
gage datum. February 29, 1896, this station was discontinued on 
account of difficulty in obtaining an observer. 

June 26, 1899, a station was established by E. G. Paul at an iron 
highway bridge one-fourth mile from Grace Station and 1| miles 
southwest of Springfield. The channel of the stream at this point 
is curved and the current too sluggish to make satisfactory discharge 
measurements, and they were therefore made at the railroad bridge 
where the station was originally located, 1^ miles above. A wire gage 
was used to determine the stages of the river. February 2, 1902, the 
highway bridge and the gage were carried away by ice. 

August 28, 1903, a station was established by E. G. Paul at the 
steel highway bridge 2J miles east of Springfield. It was discontinued 
July 15, 1906. 

The channel is straight for several hundred feet above and below 
the station. Both banks are liable to overflow at very high stages of 



a Additional information relating to this liasin is given on pp. 223-226. 



STKEAM FLOAV: SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 67 

the river. The bed of the stream is of gravel and probably subject 
to some changes in conditions of flow from time to time. The bridge 
has two spans of 150 feet each. During high water the river flows 
beneath both spans, but at low stages beneath the left span only. 
There is a small island just above and also one below the station. 

Discharge measurements were made from the bridge, to which the 
gage is attached. The initial point for soundings is the river face of 
the left abutment at the downstream side of the bridge. 

A standard chain gage is located in the center of the left span on 
the downstream side of the bridge. The length of the chain from the 
end of the weight to the marker is 37.59 feet. The gage was read 
twice each day by James R. Blue. Bench mark No. 1 is a nail in a 
large sycamore tree 15 feet downstream from the left approach to the 
bridge. The nail is in the side of the tree away from the river and 
about 6 feet above the ground. Its elevation is 18.80 feet above gage 
datum. 

The estimates given below for the station at the railroad bridge 
during 1894 to 1896 are essentially the same as previously published, 
the same rating curve being used. Some slight changes were neces- 
sary, however, on account of corrections made in the gage heights. 
No estimates have heretofore been made for stages below gage height 
2.5 feet, but the accompanying table was extended to include a dis- 
charge of 80 second-feet at gage height 2.0 feet (the minimum gage 
height in 1895), on the assumption that the minimum discharge of 
1895 was the same as the minimum discharge of 1904. Comparisons 
of 1895 and 1904 minimums at other stations in the Potomac Kiver 
basin indicate that this assumption is very nearly correct. Estimates 
for 1894 to 1896 are considered to be within 10 per cent of the true 
discharge for normal conditions of flow. 

Estimates for the station at the highway bridge during 1899 to 
1902, as previously published, have been revised. Estimates for 
stages between 4.0 feet and 8.0 feet are probably within 10 per 
cent of the true discharge for normal conditions of flow. At gage 
height 3.0 feet the probable error may be as high as 20 per cent. 
Estimates for stages above 8.0 feet are somewhat uncertain, espe- 
cially for the winter months, owing to occasional ice gorging and 
backwater effects at this station. (See measurement made Decem- 
ber 31, 1901.) However, it is considered that the probable eiTor is 
less than 25 per cent at gage height 20 feet. 

Estimates of flow corrected for the effect of ice conditions during 
ice periods from 1896 to 1902 have been made. They were based on 
a comparison of the flow at this station with the flow at other sta- 
tions in the Potomac River basin, and should be reasonably close. 

Estimates for 1903 to 1906 are considered to be within 5 per cent of 
the true discharge below gage height 5.0 feet. At 11.0 feet the 



68 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 



error may be as high as 20 per cent. They are the same as those pub- 
lished in the 1905 report. Estimates for 1903 to 1906 were not 
corrected for ice conditions. 

A summary of the records gives the following results: Maximum 
discharge for twenty-four hours, 19,350 second-feet; minimum dis- 
charge for twenty-four hom-s, 78 second-feet; mean annual discharge 
for four years, 1,311 second-feet; mean annual rainfall for seven 
years, 33.94 inches. 

Discharge Tneasurements -of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va. 



Date. 



1894. 
MaySl 

1895. 

March 29 

April 11 

April 26 .-. 

May 3 

May 9 

May 22 

June 4 

June 6 

June 14 

June 19 

July 16 

July 17 

1896. 

August 6 

November 18... 

1897. 

June 25 

September 2 

1899. 
June 26a 



height. 



Discharge. 



Feet. Second-feet. 
4.70 1,074 



5.90 
8.95 
4.20 
7.40 
5.25 
8.30 
3.90 
3.90 
3.47 
3.10 
3.10 
3.00 



4.40 
3.60 



3.40 
2.40 



4.00 



2,049 

4,389 

9fi8 

3.53a 

1,588 

3,886 

710 

759 

586 

349 

378 

355 



1,058 
634 



622 
133 



617 



Date. 



Gage 
height. 



1900. 
Februarv 23a. . 

June 20 <i 

September Ho. 



1901. 

July23i 

December 31 a.. 



1903. 
August 29 

1904. 

September 9 

September 29 c.. 

1905. 

March 29.- 

April 24 

June 8 

November 6 



March lid. 
May 26. 



1906. 



Feet. 
7.70 
7.00 



4.50 
611.50 



2.20 



2.00 
1.99 



4.48 
3.02 
3.11 
2.30 



4.50 
2.63 



Discharge. 



Seconii-feet 

3,808 

3,435 

144 



922 
5,470 



201 



115 
133 



2,283 
746 
781 
282 



1,960 
455 



a Measurement made at railroad bridge; gage height taken from gage at highway bridge near Grace 
Station. 

b Owing to ice jam below the station, this gage height is about 2.6 feet higher than for normal condi- 
tions of flow. 

c By wading below station. 

d Discharge may be small on account of ice about the meter pivot. 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va. 



Day. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Day. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


1894. a 
1 




3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 

2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 


3.2 

3.1 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 

2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
3.0 
2.8 
2.7 

2.6 


2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 
2.5 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 

2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 

2.6 


2.6 
4.1 
3.8 
3.5 
3.3 

3.1 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 

4.2 
4.1 
3.8 
3.6 
3.5 

3.4 


1894. a 
17 


3.6 

3.65 

3.9 

4.2 

3.65 

3.6 
3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.3 

3.4 
3.4 
3.25 
3.2 


2.6 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
3.8 


2.5 
2.5 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 

2.65 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 


2.6 
3.6 
5.7 
5.1 
4.0 

3.6 
3.3 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 

2.9 
2.9 
2.7 
2.6 


3.3 


2 




18 


3.2 


3 


4.4 
4.2 
4.1 

4.0 
4.5 
5.4 
5.0 
4.7 

4.3 

4.1 

3.9 

3.85 

3.8 

3.8 


19 


3.1 


4 


20 


3.1 


5 . 


21 




6 


22 




7 


23 




8 


24 




9 


25 .... 




10 


26...- 




11 


27 . .. 




12 . 


28 

29 




13 




14 


30 




15 


31 




16 . . 















o 1894 gage heights have been reduced 1. 00 foot to the new datum established April 10, 1895. 



■ STREAM flow: SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 



69 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va. — 

Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1895. 
1 










7.7 
7.0 
6.8 
6.8 
W 




44 
42 
40 
3.9 
3.8 

42 
3.9 
3.8 
3.7 
3.5 

3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
3.5 
3.5 

3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.1 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
3.0 

3.2 
44- 
4 
3.7 
3.5 


48 
45 
42 
40 
3.8 

42 
3.9 
3.5 
3.9 
3.6 

3.4 
3.3 
3.1 
3.0 
3.3 

3.1 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 

2.8 
2.7 
3.0 
3.2 
3.2 

3.3 
3.4 
3.2 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 


3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.7 

2.8 
2.7 
2.7. 
2.7 
2.7 

2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.6 


2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 

""'2."6' 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 


2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.1 
2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.1 
2.1 


2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.5 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.5 

2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.5 
2.6 


2.5 


2 










2.4 


3 










2.3 


4 










2.3 


5 . . 






;- 




2.3 


6 










2.3 


7. 












2.3 


8? 












2.3 


g 










5.2 
5.4 

5.1 

6.7 
6.8 
6.2 
6.2 

6.0 
5.9 
6.2 
6.4 
6.0 

5.8 
7.9 
7.6 
6.6 
6.2 

5.8 
6.5 
5.4 
5.0 
47 
45 


2.4 


10 










2.4 


11 








8.95 

7.5 

7.0 

6.6 

6.4 

6.1 
5.9 
5.6 
5.4 
5.2 

5.0 
4.7 
46 
4.5 

4.4 

4.2 

4.15 

4.0 

42 

49 


2.4 


12 








2.4 


13 








2.4 


14 








2.4 


15... .... 








2.4 


16 








2.3 


17 . ... 








2.3 


18 








2.3 


19 








2.3 


20. ... 








2.3 


21 








2.6 


22 








49 


23 








43 


24 








40 


25. . . 










26 








3.4 


27 








3.2 


28 








3.0 


29 








2.8 


30 








3.2 


31 i 






3.9 


1 


1 







Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


1 


isge.i- 


5.0 
47 
41 
40 


40 

46 

6.9 

7.85 

7.1 

6.3 
9.4 


12.. 
13.. 


1896.!' 




5.3 
5.7 
9.1 
8.3 

7.2 
5.5 
5.3 
47 
44 
5.1 
6.2 


23. 


1896.6 


3.0 
3.6 
6.9 

6.2 
5.0 
«45 
42 
3.9 
3.8 


4 


2 






24 


3.9 


3 . . 


14 




25 


3 9 


4 


15 




26 




5 


16 




3.7 








27 


3.7 


6 . 


17 




28 


3 5 


7 




18 




29 .. 


3. 4 


8 




8.6 
7.4 
6.0 
5.5 


19 




30 




9 




20 




31 




10 




21 








11 




22 

















a Repairing bridge; record lost May 5-8, 1895. 
6 River frozen January 4-23, 1896. 



70 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va.^- 

Continued. 



Dav. 



Jan. Feb. Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 



July. 


Aug. 


3.2 


3.4 


3.7 


3.6 


3.7 


3.5 


3.7 


3.4 


3.6 


3.2 


3.6 


3.2 


3.6 


3.2 


3.7 


3.2 


4.2 


3.1 


3.9 


3.1 


3.8 


3.1 


3.6 


3.0 


3.4 


3.0- 


3.2 


3.1 


3.1 


3.2 


3.0 


3.2 


2.9 


3.1 


3.0 


3.1 


3.4 


3.0 


3.2 


3.0 


3.2 


3.1 


3.2 


3.2 


3.4 


3.2 


3.5 


3.3 


3.5 


3.3 


3.4 


3.2 


3.4 


3.2 


3.2 


3.1 


3.2 


3.1 


3.2 


3.2 


3.2 


3.2 


5.0 


3.6 


5.0 


3.4 


5.0 


3.4 


5.2 


3.4 


5.2 


3.4 


5.0 


3.2 


5.0 


3.2 


4.7 


3.2 


4.4 


3.1 


4.4 


3.0 


4.2 


3.0 


4.0 


3.0 


3.6 


3.0 


3.2 


3.0 


3.2 


3.0 


3.2 


2.9 


3.1 


2.9 


3.1 


2.9 


3.0 


2.9 


3.0 


2.9 


3.0 


2.8 


3.4 


3.2 


3.6 


3.4 


3.8 


3.4 


3.8 


3.4 


4.6 


42 


5.0 


4.0 


5.4 


4.0 


5.4 


3.8 


4.5 


3.6 


4.0 


3.5 



Sept. 



Oct. 1 Nov. Dec. 



11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 

25- 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29- 



11. 
12. 
13- 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20- 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
.25. 

26. 
27. 
28- 
29. 
30. 
31. 



1899. a 



1900.6 



4.2 
4.6 
4.8 
4.9 
5.0 

9.0 
7.0 
6.8 
6.2 
5.6 

5.2 



5.8 

0.0 
6.4 
6.4 
6.8 
7.2 

7.0 
6.8 



6.4 
7.7 
7.4 



8.4 
6.8 
6.8 
6.4 

6.2 
7.0 
7.8 
9.4 
6.0 

7.4 
6.8 
6.2 
5.7 
5.4 

5.0 
4.8 
4.6 
5.0 
7.8 

11.4 
10.8 
9.2 
8.4 
7.6 

6.5 
6.4 
6.1 
6.8 
7.4 



7.4 
7.0 
6.5 
5.6 
5.2 

5.2 
5.0 
5.0 

4.8 
4.6 

4.2 
4.2 
4.0 
4.0 
3.8 

3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.2 
4.4 

5.6 
6.0 
6.8 
6.2 
6.0 

5.6 
5.2 
5.0 

4.7 
4.4 



4.4 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.1 

41 
41 
4 
4 
4 

4 
3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
3.7 

3.6 
3.6 
3.6 
3.5 
4 

3.7 
3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.2 

3.1 
3.4 
3.4 
3.5 
3.6 
4 



4 
4 2 
3.9 
41 
3.4 



4 
48 
44 
44 
42 

4 2 
41 
40 
4 
4 

3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
5.6 
5.2 

7.65: 
13.0 
10.2 
9.5 
7.0 

5.4 
5.1 
5.0 
4 9 
4 9 

5.2 
5.4 
5.6 
5.6 
5.4 



3.4 
3.4 
3.5 
3.6 
3.6 

3.6 
3.5 
3.5 
3.5 
3,5 

3.4 
3.4 
3.4 
3.4 
3.5 

3.5 
3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.4 

3.3 
3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.1 

3.0 
3.0 
3.2 
3.3 
3.4 



3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.4 
3.3 

3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.8 
45 

4 
4 
3.6 
3.4 
3.0 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 
3.0 
3.4 
3.5 
4 



3.4 
3.4 

3.4 j 
3.3 ! 
3.3 

3.2 
3.2, 
3.2 I 
3.2 i 
3.2 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 



4 6 
4 8 
4 8 
4 8 
4 6 

4 6 
4 5 
4 4 
4 2 
41 

41 
4 
4 



3.2 


4. U 

3.9 


5.4 


3.2 


3.8 


5.6 


3.2 


3.7 


5.G 


3.2 


3.6 


S.5 


3.1 


3.6 


5.5 


3.1 


3.9 


5.4 


3.1 


4 9 


5.4 


3.1 


5.9 


5.4 


3.0 


5.8 


5.0 


3.0 


5.6 


40 


3.2 


5.6 




3.4 


5.4 




3.5 


5.2 




3.5 


48 




3.8 


47 




4 2 


40 




4 4 






40 


3.6 


5.2 


3.8 


3.6 


5.0 


3.7 


3.6 


5.0 


3.5 


4 


5.0 


3.4 


40 


5.9 


3.4 


3.8 


10.6 


3.6 


3.8 


12.0 


3.6 


3.6 


10.0 


3.5 


3.6 


5.0 


3.5 


3.6 


5.0 


3.5 


3.5 


4 8 


3.3 


3.4 


4 7 


3.2 


3.8 


47 


3.2 


3.2 


45 


3.8 


3.2 


45 


3.7 


3.1 


44 


3.6 


3.1 




3.6 


3.1 




3.6 


3.4 




3.5 


3.4 


42 


3.5 


3.6 


4 


3.5 


3.8 


40 


3.5 


3.8 


3.8 


3.4 


3.8 


3.7 


3.2 


4 


3.7 


3.2 


10.2 


3.6 


3.2 


12.0 


3.5 


3.2 


9.8 


3.5 


3.2 


8.2 


3.5 


.3.4 


6.8 


3.4 


3.5 




3.4 



a Ice conditions December 25-31, 1899. 

* Ice conditions January 1-15, January 27 to February 9, February 18-21, 25-28, and December 17-19, 
1900. 



STKEAM flow: SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 



71 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va. — 

Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1901.1 
1 


3.4 
3.4 






4.8 
4.5 
4.2 
8.2 
8.6 

9.4 
8.0 
8.0 
7.6 
6.8 

6.4 
5.8 
5.6 
6.4 
11.2 

10.0 
9.2 
9.0 
8.6 

10.5 

18.4 
16. 
12.2 
8.9 
8.4 

7.6 
7.2 
6.8 
6.4 
6.0 


5.8 
5.6 
5.4 
5.5 
5.0 

4.9 
4.5 
4.8 
0.1 
16.5 

12.1 
8.2 
7.4 
6.5 
6.0 

5.8 
5.6 
5.2 
5.0 
5.0 

4.8 
11.5 
9.0 
7.6 
5.4 

5.0 
6.5 
8.7 
12.2 
11.6 
8.4 


7.6 
6.8 
6.2 
5.8 
5.8 

6.0 
6.4 
6.2 
5.4 
5.0 

4.8 
4.5 
4.4 
5.3 
5.6 

12.4 
10.2 
8.1 
7.8 
7.0 

6.1 
5.6 
5.4 
5.4 
5.2 

5.6 
6.4 
6.0 
6.1 
5.0 


5.0 
5.0 

5.4 
5.6 
5.6 

5.3 
5.8 
5.8 
5.4 
5.0 

4.8 
4.2 
4.0 
4.0 
6.0 

6.2 
6.5 
6.8 
5.4 
5.0 

4.2 
4.0 
4.5 
4.0 
3.8 

4.2 
3.6 
3.4 
3.0 
3.0 
3.4 


3.6 
3.4 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.6 
4.2 
4.0 
3.6 
3.2 

3.8 
3.8 
3.6 
3.6 
3.5 

3.5 
3.4 
3.4 
3.4 
3.8 

4.0 
4.2 
4.5 
3.8 
3.8 

3.5 
3.5 
3.8 
4.5 
4.5 
4.4 


7.25 

4.6 

4.4 

4.4 

4.2 

4.2 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.0 

4.0 
4.0 
5.2 
5.4 
5.0 

4.4 
3.8 
3.6 
3.6 
3.6 

3.5 
3.5 
3.5 
3.4 
3.4 

3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
3.3 
3.2 


4.0 
4.2 
4.6 
3.8 
3.6 

3.6 
3.5 
3.5 
3.5 
3.4 

3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
3.3 
3.2 

3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 


3.2 
3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
3.3 

3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
-5.2 

"4.6 
4.0 
3.8 
3.7 
3.5 


3.4 


2 






3.4 


3 




3.8 
3.8 
5.0 


3.4 


4 




4.0 
4.0 


7.0 


5 




6.4 


6 




6.0 


7 






4.5 
4.6 
4.8 
4.8 

12.2 
11.4 
9.4 
8.2 
7.4 

6.0 
5.8 
5.4 
5.2 
5.2 

5.0 




8 






4.8 


9 


3.6 
3.6 

3.8 
7.6 
9.2 
8.0 
6.4 

5.6 
5.4 
5.4 
5.2 


....... 


4.6 


10 


4.5 


11 

12 


4.5 
4.5 


13 


4.8 


14 

15 


5.0 
20.0 


16 

17 

18 


15.0 
11.2 
6.8 


19 


5.7 


20 . 




21 








22 . 






0.8 




23 






7.0 
7.0 
6.8 

6.5 
6.2 
6.0 
5.6 
5.4 
5.2 




24 


4.4 
4.4 

4.2 
42 
4.2 







25 




26 

27 

28 


...... 


29 


8.6 


30 . 






14.6 


31 






12.2 











Day. 


Jan. 


Day. 


Jan. 


Day. 


Jan. 


Day. 


Jan. 


1902. b 
1 


8.2 
6.8 
6.4 
6.0 


1902. b 

10 

Ill 


8.6 

.5.6 
4.5 


1902. b 
18 




1902. b 
25 




2 


19 




26 




3 


20 






4 


1 12 


21 




27 

28 


5.2 


5 


' 13 


7.6 






14 




22 




29 


7.8 


6 


15 




23 




30 . 




7 




' 16 




24 




31 




8 












9 


8.8 


j 17 















a Ice conditions January 3-8, 20-23, January 29 to February 3, February 6 to March 2, March 6, Decem- 
ber 7, 20-28, 1901. 

b Ice conditions January 5-8, 13-26, and January 30 to February 24, 1902. Bridge and gage carried 
away by flood February 24, 1902. 



72 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va- 

Continued. 



Day. 


Aug. 


Sent. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Day. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1903.a 
1 




2.75 

2.7 

2.6 

2.55 

2.45 

2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.55 

2.45 

2.45 

2.3 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 


2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.1 
2.3 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 


2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 


2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.2 
2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.15 

2.15 

2.2 

2.25 

2.4 

2.2 

2.25 

2.5 

2.5 


1903. o 
17 




2.25 
2.45 
3.0 
2.85 

2.65 

2.5 

2.45 

2.4 

2.35 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 


2.4 
2.4 

"'2!2' 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 


2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 


2.5 


2 




18 . . . . . 




2.5 


3 . -. 




19 




2.5 


4 




20 




2.1 


5 




21 










2.2 


6 . -- 


22 




2.4 


7 




23 -. 




2.65 


8 




24 . . 




2.4 


9 




25 




2.3 


10 




26 










2.3 


11 


27 -.... 




2.65 


12 




28 


2.2 
2.2 
2.55 
2.8 


2.6 


13 




29 


2.6 


14 




30 


2.6 


15 




31 . 


2.6 


16 















7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25- 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



Day. 



1904.6 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


■Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


2.G 


2.8 


3.75 


3.65 


5.4 


3.45 


2.8 


2.4 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.8 


4.6 


4.05 


4.85 


3.5 


2.65 


2.5 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.8 


4.2 


3.95 


4.35 


3.45 


2.6 


2.7 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.7 


4.35 


3.7 


4.15 


3.4 


2.6 


2.8 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.6 


4.1 


3.5 


3.9 


4.35 


2.6 


2.8 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.6 


3.65 


3.35 


3. 05 


4.3 


2.5 


2.6 


2.0 


1.85 


1.8 


2.6 


3.0 


3.45 


3.2 


3.3 


3.9 


2.5 


2.6 


2.0 


1.85 


1.8 


2.6 


6.4 


5.55 


3.2 


3.5 


3.8 


2.6 


2.55 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


4.85 


5.6 


3.15 


3.4 


3.35 


2.5 


2.5 


2.1 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


3.55 


4.6 


3.2 


3.6 


3.1 


2.85 


2.4 


2.15 


1.8 


1.9 


2.6 


3.2 


4.05 


3.3 


3.4 


2.95 


4.5 


2.3 


2.1 


1.8 


1.9 


2.6 


2.7 


3.85 


3.25 


3.25 


3.1 


3.85 


2.25 


2.1 


1.8 


1.9 


2.6 


2.85 


3.65 


3.2 


3.1 


3.1 


3.5 


2.2 


2.1 


1.8 


1.9 


2.6 


2.95 


3.5 


3.2 


3.0 


3.0 


2.95 


2.1 


2.2 


1.8 


1.9 


2.6 


3.05 


3.35- 


3.0 


3.0 


2.7 


2.85 


2.1 


2.15 


1.8 


1.9 


2.6 


2.95 


3.15 


2.85 


3.0 


2.95 


2 55 


2.1 


2.05 


1.8 


1.9 


2.6 


2.9 


3.1 


2.8 


3.0 


2.85 


2.45 


2.0 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.65 


3.1 


3.0 


3.25 


3.1 


2.5 


2.0 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.95 


3.1 


3.0 


8.05 


3.0 


2.55 


2.0 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.9 


3.05 


3.0 


7.95 


5.65 


2.6 


2.0 


1.9 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.95 


3.05 


3.0 


6.3 


4.7 


2.7 


2.0 


1.9 


1.9 


1.8 


2.85 


3.5 


3.4 


2.9 


5.4 


3.95 


2.6 


2.0 


1.9 


1.9 


1.8 


9.05 


4.5 


3.9 


2.8 


4.8 


3.0 


2.8 


2.0 


1.9 


1.9 


1.8 


5.4 


4.05 


4.55 


2.8 


4.3 


3.45 


2.9 


2.0 


1.9 


1.9 


1.8 


4.05 


3.0 


4.45 


2.7 


3.95 


3.2 


2.8 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


1.8 


3.45 


3.25 


4.15 


2.8 


3.75 


2.9 


2.5 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


1.8 


3.0 


2.95 


3.95 


3.05 


3.8 


2.75 


2.7 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


1.8 


2.9 


2.95 


3.8 


8.6 


4.2 


2.55 


2.6 


1.9 


1.8 


1.8 


1.8 


2.65 


2.95 


3.45 


8.1 


3.65 


2.75 


2.5 


2.1 


1.8 


1.8 


1.8 


2.75 




3.45 


6.6 


3.45 


2.9 


2.4 


2.1 


1.8 


1.8 


1.8 


2.9 




3.35 




3.45 




2 4 


2.0 




1.8 





a Ice conditions December 4-31, 1903. 

b River frozen over January 1-22, 1904; river clear January 23-27, 1904; ice conditions January 28 to 
February 7, 1904; river frozen over December 19-31, 1904. 



STREAM flow: SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 



73 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va.— 

Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec: 


1905.a 

1 

2 


2.35 

2.45 

2.3 

2.45 

2.55 

2.35 
2.3 

2.2 
2.3 
2.4 

2.4 
■ 2.3 
4.7 
6.05 
4.75 

3.6 

3.2 

3.1 

3.15 

3.2 

3.3 

3.2 

3.2 

3.05 

3.0 

2.85 

2.7 

2.5 

3.0 

2.9 

2.5 

4.0 

3.95 

3.85 

6.75 

8.65 

6.7 

5.3 

4.6 

4.15 

3.75 

3.6 
3.9 
4.3 
4.5 
4.55 

5.15 

5.2 

4.75 

4.45 

4.05 

3.85 
3.75 
5.15 
9.5 

7.2 

5.25 
4.85 
4.65 
4.75 
4.45 
4.25 


2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.1 
3.1 

3.1 
.3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.8 
3.9 
4.1 

4.05 

3.85 

3.55 

3.4 

3.4 

3.2 

3.05 

3.0 

3.0 

3.1 

2.9 

2.9 

2.85 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 

2.6 

2.65 

2.7 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 


4.1 
3.9 
.3.8 
3.4 
3.7 

4.55 
4.9 
5.25 
7.05 
11.1 

8.75 
7.25 
6.15 
5.35 
4.9 

4.75 
4.75 
5.25 
5.55 
5.9 

7.1 
10.05 
7.55 
6.15 
7.25 

6.2 
.5.4 
4.8 
4.3 
4.0 
3.85 

2.6 

2.7 

2.8 

7.05 

6.65 

5.65 

4.8 

4.35 

4.05 

3.85 

3.65 

3.5 

3.35 

3.3 

3.65 

4.25 

4.45 

4.4 

4.4 

4.8 

5.15 

5.65 

6.1 

5.95 

5.35 

5.6 
8.65 
13. 55 
10.85 
10.65 
10.95 


3.55 

3.35 

3.3 

3.1 

3.1 

4.0 

4.7 

4.55 

4.2 

3.95 

3.9 

3.8 

3.5 

3.35 

3.3 

3.2 
3.2 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.7 

2.7 
2.8 
2.8 
2.6 
2.9 

9.65 
8.75 
7.85 
6.25 
5.3 

5.4 

5.15 

4.05 

4.65 

5.35 

5.45 

5.15 

4.75 

4.4 

5.4 

6.6 

5.9 

5.5 

4.85 

4.45 

4.0 

3.85 

3.75 

3.65 

3.6 

6,35 

9.85 

7.3 

5.75 

5.05 


2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 

2.7 
2.7 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 

2.8 

3.85 

7.5 

5.8 

7.55 

7.05 
5.75 
4.9 
■4.3 
4.0 

3.6 

3.45 

3.25 

3.05 

2.95 

2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 

4.85 

4.55 

4.35 

4.2 

4.0 

4.15 

3.9 

4.0 

3.85 

3.7 

3.65 

3.4 

3.3 

3.25 

3.2 

3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.0 

3.05 

2.85 

2.75 

2.7 

2.6 

2.6 

2.5 

2.6 

2.7 

2.65 

2.7 


2.9 

3.0 

2.95 

2.75 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

3.0 

2.75 

2.65 

2.6 
2.65 
2.65 
2. .55 
2.45 

2.4 
2.3- 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.55 

3.9 

6.0 

9.2 

8.55 

5.9 

6.85 

5.8 

4.45 

3.85 

2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.8 
2.7 

2.7 

2.85 

2.85 

2.85 

2.85 

2.65 

2.5 

2.58 

2.4 

2.5 

2.7 

2.7 

2.75 

2.9 

3.0 

3.85 

4.0 

3.65 

3.35 

3.5 

4.2 

4.1 

3.45 

3.05 

3.0 


3.55 

3.7 

3.45 

4.15 

3.8 

5.35 

4.35 

3.9 

3.65 

3.35 

3.4 

3.85 

4.85 

5.95 

5.6 

4.75 

3.9 

3.5 

3.25 

3.05 

3.2 

3.25 

3.95 

5.2 

4.15 

3.55 
3.3 
3.0 
3.0 

3.85 
3.1 

3.0 
2.8 
2.68 
2.' 7 
3.15 

2.9 

2.85 

2.55 

2.4 

2.48 

2.3 
2.25 
2.3 
2.1 


2.9 

2.75 

2.6 

2.6 

2.5 

2.5 

2.65 

2.65 

2.55 

2.5 

2.85 

2.85 

2.5 

3.6 

4.4 

3.9 
3.4 
3.1 
3.0 
2.95 

2.75 

2.7 

2.6 

2.55 

4.0 

5.65 
4.2 
3.35 
3.0 

2.8 
2.7 


2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 

2.25 

2.45 

2.45 

2.3 

2.4 

2.45 

2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.8 
1.8 . 
1.8 
1.8 
2.0 


2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.25 

2.2 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.1 

2.1 

2.15 

2.25 

2.3 

2.45 

2.55 

2.9 

3.25 

2.65 

2.55 

2.45 


2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.2 


2.3 
2.3 


3 


3.2 


4 


5.15 


5 


4.35 


6 


3.9 


7 


3.5 


8 


3.2 


9 


3.05 


10 


2.95 


11 


2.85 


12 . .-. 


2.7 


13 


2.65 


14 


2.55 


15 

16 


2.45 
2.55 


17 


2.6 


18 


2.5 


19 


2.4 


20 --- 


2.35 


21 


6.1 


22 


9.45 


23 


7.75 


24 


7.05 


25 


6.15 


26 


5.65 


27 


5.2 


28 


4.65 


29 


4.05 


30 


4.4 


31 


4.6 


1906.6 
1 




2 












3 












4 












5 
























7 












8 - -- 












9 












10 












11 












12 












13 












14 












15 












16 














17 














18 














19 














20 














21 














22 














23. 














24 














25 










- 




26 














27. 














28 














29 














30. 














31 































a Ice conditions during portions of January and February, 1905. 
b Flow probably unaffected by ice conditions during 1906. 



74 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Rating tables for South Branch of Potomac River, near Springfield, W. Va. 

JUNE 3, 1894, TO FEBRUARY 29, 1896.0 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


2.00 


80 


2.90 


300 


3.80 


700 


5.40 


1,720 


2.10 


96 


3.00 


330 


3.90 


750 


5.60 


1,860 


2.20 


113 


3.10 


360 


4.00 


800 


5.80 


2,000 


2.30 


132 


3.20 


400 


4.20 


910 


6.00 


2,145 


2.40 


154 


3.30 


450 


4.40 


1,030 


7.00 


2,895 


2.50 


180' 


3.40 


500 


4.60 


1,160 


8.00 


3,645 


2.60 


210 


3.50 


550 


4.80 


1,300 


9.00 


4,395 


2.70 


240 


3.60 


600 


5.00 


1,440 


10.00 


5,145 


2.80 


270 


3.70 


650 


5.20 


1,580 







JUNE 26, 1899, TO JANUARY 29, 1902.b 



2.70 


85 


4.00 


615 


5.60 


1,785 


8.00 


4,370 


2.80 


110 


4.10 


670 


5.80 


1,965 


8.50 


4,975 


2.90 


140 


4.20 


730 


6.00 


2,150 


9.00 


6,600 


3.00 


170 


4.30 


790 


6.20 


2,345 


10.00 


6,850 


3.10 ' 


• 205 


4.40 


855 


6.40 


2,545 


11.00 


8,100 


3.20 


240 


4.50 


920 


6.60 


2,755 


12.00 


9, 350 


3.30 


280 1 


4.60 


990 


. 6.80 


2.975 


13.00 


10, 600 


3.40 


320 


4.70 


1.060 


7.00 


3, 200 


14.00 


11,850 


3.50 


365 


4. 80 


1,135 


7.20 


3,4.30 


15.00 


13, 100 


3.60 


410 ! 


4.90 


1,210 


7.40 


3,660 


16.00 


14, 350 


3.70 


460 


5.00 


1,285 


7.60 


3,890 


18.00 


16, 850 


3.80 


510 


5.20 


1,445 


7.80 


4,130 


20.00 


19, 350 


3.90 


560 


5.40 


1,615 











AUGUST 28, 1903, TO JULY 14, 1906.c 



1.80 


78 


3.00 


702 


4.10 


1.790 


5.40 


3,690 


1.90 


96 


3.10 


778 


4.20 


1,912 


5.60 


4, 030 


2.00 


125 


3.20 


860 


4.30 


2,038 


5;80 


4,380 


2.10 


163 


3.30 


947 


4.40 


2,168 


6.00 


4,745 


2.20 


210 


3.40 


1,039 


4.50 


2,302 


6.50 


5,750 


2.30 


261 


3.50 


1,135 


4.60 


2,440 


7.00 


6,890 


2.40 


315 


3.60 


1,235 


4.70 


2,582 


7.50 


8,120 


2.50 


372 


3.70 


1,339 


4.80 


2,728 


8.00 


9,370 


2.60 


432 


3.80 ■ 


1,447 


4.90 


2,879 


9.00 


12, 000 


2.70 


495 


3.90 


1,558 


5.00 


3,035 


10.00 


15, 000 


2.80 


561 


4.00 


1, 072 


5.20 


3,355 


11.00 


18,000 


2.90 


630 















a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on discharge 
measurements made during 1894-1896. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 3.0 feet and 10.5 
feet. Above gage height 5.9 feet the rating curve is a tangent, the diflferenee being 75 per tenth. 

b This table is strictly applicable only for opennjhannel conditions. It is based on four discharge 
measurements made during 1899-1901. It is not well defined. Above gage height 8.4 feet the rating 
curve is a tangent, the difference being 125 per tenth. For high stages a tangent is considered to give 
the best results, owing to conditions below the station, which cause a backwater ellect at the gage. 

c This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on eight discharge 
measurements made during 1903-1906. 'It is fairly well defined between gage heights 2 feet and 4.5 feet. 
Above 6 feet gage height the discharge is approximate. 



STREAM flow: SOUTH BBANCH OF POTOMAC. 



75 



Estimated nionthly discharge of South Branch of Potomac River near Springfield, W. Va. 
[Drainage area, 1,440 to 1,475 square miles.]" 



Month. 



1894. 

June 3-30 

Julys 

August , 

September... 
October 1-20. 



1895. 
April 11-30.. 

May c 

June 

July 

August 

September c2. 

October 

November. .. 
December e.. 



1896. 
January / . . . 
February... 



1899. 

J anuary 

February... 

March 

April 

May 

June 26-30.. 

July 

August 

September.. 

October 

November. . 
December''. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean, 



The year . 



1900. 
January i. . . 
February i . 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September.. 

October 

November.. 
Dscember*. 



The year . 



1,720 
700 
400 

1,930 
910 



4,357 

3,570 

1,030 

1,300 

360 

180 

96 

210 

1,370 



400 
210 
180 
180 
210 



800 
1,090 
270 
240 
132 
80 
80 
113 
132 



2,820 
4,695 



250 
500 



730 


320 


730 


140 


410 


170 


410 


170 


855 


170 


2,055 


410 


1,965 


320 



5,600 

4,010 

8,600 

3,660 

855 

10,600 

1,615 

730 

920 

615 

9,350 

9,350 



500 



240 
205 
560 
170 
110 
110 
240 
205 
320 



10,600 



110 



775 
296 
233 
403 
500 



1,792 
2,203 

582 

512 

217 

108 
82.1 

145 

307 



635 
2,023 



579 
337 
238 
314 
293 
1,001 



1,103 

1,971 

3,497 

1,400 

509 

1,945 

783 

287 

299 

359 

1,361 

1,507 



1,252 



Run-oH. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



0.538 
.206 
.162 
.280 
.347 



1.24 
1.53 
.404 
.356 
.151 
.075 
.057 
.101 
.213 



.441 
1.40 



.399 
.232 
.164 
.217 
.202 
.690 
.679 



.761 

1.36 

2.41 

.966 

.351 

1.34 

.540 

.198 

.206 

.248 

.939 

1.04 



.863 



Depth in 
inches. 



0.560 
.238 
.187 
.312 
.258 



Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 



.922 
1.76 
.451 
.410 
.174 
.084 
.066 
.113 
.246 



.508 
1.51 



.074 
.268 
.189 
.242 
.233 
.770 
.783 



.877 
1.42 
2.78 
1.08 
.405 
1.50 
.623 
.228 
.230 
.286 
1.05 
1.20 



11.68 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



Loss in 
inches. 



2.44 
3.99 
2.92 
.98 
5.34 
ff3.81 
2.86 
3.46 
3.98 
1.63 
1.09 
1.48 



33.98 



1.49 
2.79 
3.01 
1.14 
2.10 
4.59 
3.17 
1.78 
2.65 
2.12 
4.04 
1.80 



38 30. ' 



2.59 
3.27 
3.74 
1.40 
.32 
.70 



.61 
1.37 

.23 

.06 
1.70 
3.09 
2.55 
1.55 
2.42 
1.83 
2.99 

.60 



19.00 



a Various drainage areas are used to obtain run-off on account of changes in location of stations. 

b Discharge interpolated July 15-21, 1894. 

c Discharge interpolated May 5-8, 1895. 

d Discharge interpolated September 8-22, 1895. 

e Discharge interpolated December 25, 1895. 
• / River frozen January 4-23, 1896; discharge corrected lor ice conditions, the discharge of Shenan- 
doah River at Millville, W. Va., being used as a basis. 

9 Precipitation for complete month June, 1899. 

A Ice conditions December 25-31, 1899; discharge corrected for this period, the daily discharges at 
Piedmont, Riverton, and Millville being used as a basis. 

' Ice conditions January 1-15, January 27 to February 9, February 18-21, 25-28, and December 17-19, 
1900. Discharge corrected for these periods, the daily discharges at Piedmont, Riverton, and Mill- 
ville being used as a basis. 

IRE 192—07 6 



78 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of South Branch of Potomac Rivti 


, etc. — Continued. 




Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-off. 


Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 


Precipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


In 

inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1901. 
Januarys 


5,850 
615 

9,600 
17,350 

9,600 

9,850 

2,975 
920 

3,488 
990 

1,445 
19,350 


300 
400 
400 
730 
920 
855 
170 
205 
240 
205 
170 
320 


1,119 

426 

2,423 

4,987 

3,631 

2,560 

1,185 

484 

721 

322 

326 

3,326 


.772 
.294 
1.67 
3.44 
2.50 
1.77 
' .817 
.334 
.497 
.222 
.225 
2.29 


.890 

.306 

1.92 

3.84 

2.88 

1.98 

.942 

.385 

.554 

.256 

.251 

2.64 


52 

115 

82 

62 

44 

81 

32 

6 

27 

137 

11 

50 


1.70 
.27 
2.33 
6.20 
6.54 
2.44 
2.92 
6.60 
2.02 
.19 
2.25 
5.31 


81 


February a 

March a 


- .04 
41 




2 36 


May 


3.66 


June. 


46 


July 


1 98 


August 


6.22 


September 


1.47 


October 


- .07 


November. .. 


2.00 


December a<> 


2.67 


The year 


19,350 


170 


1,792 


1.24 


16.84 


43 


38.77 


21.93 


1902. 
January c . . 


5,350 


800 


1,810 


1.25 


1.44 


66 


2.19 
3.83 
4.34 
2.77 
2.38 
3.67 
2.32 
2.37 
1.95 
2.84 


.75 


February 




March 
















April 
















May 
















June 
















July... 
















August 
































October 
















November. . 














2.93 
















3.87 ' 
















1 


The year 














35.46 




















1903. 
January 














2.76 

2.85 

2.98 

3.02 

3.17 

5.33 

3.79 

<i3.89 

1.91 

2.78 

.79 

.40 




































April 
















































July 
















August 28-31 

September . 


56i 
702 
432 
261 
463 


210 
. 210 
163 
163 
163 


346 
336 

271 
206 
286 


.235 
.228 
.184 
.140 
.194 


.035 
.254 
.212 
.156 
.224 






13 

8 

20 

55 


1.66 


October « 


2.57 




.63 


December/ 


.18 


The year 














33.67 




















1904. 
Januarys 


12,150 

5,540 

4,030 

10,930 

9,500 

4,118 

2,302 

561 

210 

96 

96 

1,558 


432 

432 

740 

495 

702 

402 

315 

96 

78 

78 

- 78 

78 


1,009 
1,004 
1,451 
1,660 
2,143 
1,121 

568 

238 

123 
80.9 
79.9 

296 


.684 
.681 
.984 
1.13 
1.45 
.760 
.385 
.161 
.083 
.055 
.054 
.200 


.789 
.734 
1.13 
1.26 
1.67 
.848 
.444 
.186 
.093 
.063 
.060 
.231 


48 
74 
61 
■51 
56 
16 
8 
10 
5 
5 
8 
9 


1.66 
.99 
1.84 
2.45 
3.01 
5.47 
5.58 
1.95 
1.83 
1.14 
.76 
2.64 


.87 


February g 

March 


.26 

.71 




1.19 




, 1.34 


June 

July 


4.62 
5.14 




1.76 


September 

October 


1.74 
1.08 




.70 


December g 


2.41 


The year 


12, 150 


78 


814 


.552 7.50 


26 


29.32 


21.82 



a Ice conditions January 3-8, 20-23, January 29 to February 3, February 6 to March 2, March 6, 
December 7, 20-28, 1901. Discharge corrected for these periods, the daily discharge at Piedmont, Riv- 
erton, and Millville being used as a basis. 

b There was backwater at the gage December 29-31, 1901, owing to an ice jam, but since the discharge 
when applied to the gage heights as observed is relatively small as compared with that at Riverton 
and Millville, it was considered best to allow them to stand without reduction for backwater effect. 

c Ice conditions January 5-8, 13-26. and January 30 to February 24, 1902. Discharge corrected for 
January, the daily discharges at Piedmont, Riverton. and Millville being used as a basis. 

i Precipitation for complete month August, 1903. 

f Discharge interpolated October 19-24, 1903. 

/ Ice conditions December 4-31, 1903. No correction made in estimates. 

g Ice conditions Jan. 1 to 22, Jan, 28 to Feb. 7, and December 19-31, 1904; no correction made in esti- 
mates. 



STREAM FLOW : SOUTH BEANCH OF POTOMAC. 



77 



Esiimaied monthly discharge of South Branch of Potomac River, etc. — Continued. 



Month. 



1905. 
January a.. 
Fel)ruarya. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November.. 
December.. 



The year . 



190G: 

January 

February... 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-14... 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



4,840 

1,790 

18,300 

2,582 

8,245 

12,600 

4,652 

4,118 

495 

904 

315 

13,350 



18,300 



210 
630 
1,039 
432 
432 
210 
702 
372 
78 
125 
163 
261 



821 

831 

4,793 

1,015 

1,744 

1,948 

1,673 

854 

228 

229 

190 

2,298 



78 i 1,385 



13,500 
1,731 
25,650 
14,650 
2,804 
1,912 
819 



1,235 
315 
432 

1,235 
372 
315 
163 



3,321 

664 

5,076 

4,538 

1,085 

770 

449 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



.557 
.563 
3.25 
.688 
1.18 
1.32 
1.13 
.579 
.155 
.155 
.129 
1.56 



.939 



2.26 
.452 
3.45 
3.09 
.738 
. 524 
.305 



Depth in 
inches. 



.642 
.586 
3.75 

.768 
1.36 
1.47 
1.30 
.668 
.173 
.179 
.144 
1.80 



12.84 



2.61 

.471 
3.98 
3.45 
.851 
.585 
.159 



Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 



27 
48 
162 
63 
37 
25 
21 
14 
15 
6 
13 
59 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



2.34 
1.22 
2.32 
1.23 
3.64 
5.78 
6.26 
4.63 
1.12 
3.02 
1.10 
3.J06 



36 35. 72 



Loss in 
inches. 



1.70 

.63 
-1.43 

.46 
2.28 
4.31 
4.96 
3.96 

.95 
2.84 

.96 
1.26 

22.88 



a Ice conditions January and February, 1905; no correction made in estimates. 

MISCELLANEOUS DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS IN SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER 

BASIN. 

The following miscellaneous discharge measurements have been 
made in the basin of South Branch of Potomac River : 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements in South Branch of Potomac River drainage basin. 











Area of 


Mean 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width. 


sec- 
tion. 


veloc- 
ity. 










Square 


Ft. per 


Second- 


1897. 






Feet. 


feet. 


second. 


feet. 


September 24 . . 


North Fork of South 
Branch of Potomac 
River. 


500 feet above mouth near 
Petersburg, W. Va. 


38 


33 


0.52 


17 


Do 


South Branch of Poto- 
mac River. 


300 yards above mouth of 
North Fork, near Peters- 
burg, W. Va. 


80 


58 


1.65 


96 


Do 


South Fork of South 
Branch of Potomac 
River. 


Near Moorefield, W . Va 


24 


23 


1.48 


34 


September 26 - . 


Mill Creek. 


Near mouth near Romney 
W. Va. 








3 












Do 


South Branch of Poto- 
mac River. 


A short distance above 
Romney bridge near 
Romney, W. Va. 


65 


91 


2.25 


205 



78 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

POTOMAC RIVER BASIN BETWEEIST MOUTH OF SOUTH 
BRANCH AND SHENANDOAH RIVER. 

POTOMAC KIVER AT GREAT CACAPOlf, W. VA. 

Gage-height records were obtained of Potomac River at Dara 
No. 6 of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal near Great Cacapon, from 
June 21, 1894, to March 7, 1896. The gage was located above the dam. 
Discharge measurements were made -of the main river and also of 
the canal feeder by wading at a point about 1,000 feet below the 
diversion dam^. The channel at tliis point is rocky and the current 
swift. The crest of the dam is not level and no data are available for 
determining the point on the gage at which zero flow over the dam 
occurs. No estimates of discharge have been made, as the number of 
measurements is insufficient. The gage heights are not considered of 
enough value for republication. 

Discharge measurements of Potomac River at Great Cacapon, W. Va. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge 
of river. 


Discharge 
of canal 
feeder. 


1895. 
June 20 o 


Feet. 
6 0.90 
.90 


SecoTid-feet. 
331 
543 
132 


Second-feet. 


July 18 . 


dl64 


August 26 


- .50 


«92 







o No water flowing over the West Virginia end of the dam for about one-eighth of the total length. 

>> Gage height not considered accurate. 

c Water flowing in feeder, but no measurement made. 

<* Feeder gate open 3.0 feet. 

« Feeder gate wide open. 

OPEaUON CREEK NEAR MARTINSBTJRG, W. VA.a 

The gaging station was established May 8, 1905, and was discon- 
tinued .July 16, 1906. It is located at the highway bridge known as 
"Rileys Ford Bridge," about 4 miles southeast of Martinsburg, 
W. Va. 

The channel is straight for about 300 feet above and below the sta- 
tion. The current is swift. Both banks are clean. The right bank 
is high and does not overflow. The left bank has a flood plain 
extending 600^ feet across a level meadow. The bed of the stream is 
rocky, very rough, free from vegetation, and permanent. There is 
but one channel at ordinary stages. The stream is liable to extreme 
fluctuations at high water, covering the entire flood plain on the west. 

Discharge measurements were made from the downstream side of 
the steel bridge to which the gage is attached. The initial point for 
soundings is the top face of the left abutment, downstream side. 

A standard chain gage is fastened to the downstream side of the 
bridge near the left abutment. The length of the chain from the end 
of the weight to the marker is 19.90 feet. The gage was read twice 

a General description of this basin is given on p. 230. 



STREAM FLOW : OPEQUON CREEK. 



79 



each day by Frank Mose. Bench mark No. 1 is a cross chiseled on the 
upstream left abutment. Its elevation is 18.44 feet above the datum 
of the gage. Bench mark No. 2 is the top of the pulley wheel of the 
gage. Its elevation was 19.55 feet above the datum of the gage 
March 18, 1906. 

Low-water measurements at this station plot very erratically, and 
since the section at the gaging station has remained unchanged it is 
assumed that the trouble lies with the controlling point below the 
gage. This assumption is borne out by the fact that it is known that 
refuse matter is thrown into the creek from the bridge and collects on 
a bar a short distance below. It has seemed best to determine the 
discharge by means of tlxree rating curves of the same general form. 

Estimates based on the first two curves may be 10 to 20 per cent in 
error. Estimates based on the third curve are probably within 5 to 10 
per cent of the true flow for normal conditions. The 1905-6 estiinates 
are not affected by ice conditions. 

Discharge measurements of Opequon Creelc near Martinsburg, W. Va. 



Date. 



1905. 
May 7.... 

November 8. ... 

1906. 
Marcli 18 



height. 



Feet. 
1.33 
1.25 



1.51 



Discharge. 



Seconclr-feet. 

141 
63 



137 



Date. 



1906 

April 2 

April 12 

Do 

May 29 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
3.32 
2.57 
2.56 
1.57 



Discharge. 



Secondr-feet. 
600 
338 
332 
152 



Daily gage height, in feet, of Opequon Creek near Martinsburg , W. Va. 



Day. 


May. 


June. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Day. 


May. 


June. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


D^ec. 


1905 
1... 




1.32 
1.28 
1.22 
1.2 




1.2 

1.18 

1.15 

1.12 

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

1.15 

1.12 

1.1 

1.12 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 


1.28 

1.2 

2.45 

2.52 

1.78 

1.38 

1.3 

1.28 

1.25 

1.22 

1.2 

1.2 

1.2 

1.18 

1.15 

1.22 


1905. 
17 


1.52 
1.42 
1.38 
1.32 

1.28 
1.25 
1.25 
1.22 
1.18 

1.15 

1.18 

1.2 

1.18 

1.15 

1.22 




1.1 
1.3 
1.5 
1.38 

1.32 
1.25 

1.18 
1.12 
1.18 

2.0 

1.68 

1.42 

1.38 

1.3 

1.22 


1.5 

i;5 

1.52 


1.35 


2 .... 




18 


1.38 


3 




19 


1.22 


4 




20 


1.2 


5 




21 . . . 












7.62 


6 


22 


7.3 


7 








23 


3.8 


8 






1.15 
1.12 
1.1 

1.2 

1.28 

1.22 

1.18 

1.12 

1.1 


24 - . .. 


2.92 


9 


1.35 
1.38 

1.38 

1.38 

1.32 

1.4 

1.98 

1.72 




25 


2.5 


10 


26 






2.18 


11 


27 

28 

29 


2 2 


12 

13 


1.8 
3.1 


14 


30 


2.55 


15 


31 . 


2.0 


16 











80 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Opequon Creek near Martinsburg, W. Va. — ContinueJ. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. ! Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1900. 
1 


1.73 
1.65 
1.77 
8.73 
4.2 

3.12 
2.68 
2.27 
2.15 
1.98 

1.92 

1.9 

1.98 

2.17 

2.7 

2.58 
2.25 
2.32 
1.98 
1.85 

1.78 
1.72 
1.75 
1.93 
1.85 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.67 

1.65 

1.63 


1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.48 

1.45 

1.4 

1.37 

1.33 

1.32 

1.37 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.45 

1.48 

1.42 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.38 

1.37 
1.48 
1.42 
1.38 
1.35 

1.32 

1.3 

1.28 


1.26 

1.4 

1.56 

3.24 

2.4 

1.9 

1.84 

1.8 

1.72 

1.6 

1.52 

1.48 
1.48 
1.5 
1.52 

1.52 
1.52 
1.58 
1.72 
1.83 

1.82 

1.92 

2.28 

2.3 

2.35 

2.78 

4.0 

7.52 

5.45 

5.78 

7.2 


4.72 

3.48 

3.0 

2.72 

2.55 

2.45 
2.32 
2.22 
2.48 
4.02 

3.02 
2.48 
2.25 
2.18 
8.5 

5.0 

3.28 

2.9 

2.62 

2.45 

2.35 

2.28 
2.22 
2.15 
2.1 

2.3 

2.25 

2.0 

1.98 

1.95 


1.92 

1.9 

1.88 

1.85 

1.82 

1.8 

1.78 
1.75 
1.72 
1.68 

1.65 

1.65 

1.62 

1.6 

1.58 

1.55 

1.52 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.48 

1.45 
1.45 
1.42 
1.4 

1.4 
1.42 
1.52 
1.52 
1.48 
1.4 


1.5 

1.48 

1.45 

1.42 

1.-4 

2.92 
2.18 

1.58 
1.58 
1.62 

1.48 
1.42 
1.48 
1.68 
1.52 

1.48 

5.38 

3.0 

2.75 

2.48 

5.18 

5.0 

2.58 

2.35 

2.18 

2.05 
1.88 
1.82 
2.08 
1.85 


1.7 
1.55 
1.9 
7.9 

2.88 

2.4 
2.4 

1.88 
1.78 
1.72 

1.68 

1.62 

1.6 

1.58 

1.52 




1 













3 








4 








5 


1 


1 




G 










7 










8 












9 












10 












11 












12 












13 










14 










15 


■ 








16 










17 




i 








18 














19 .- 














20 














21 














22 












23 














24 














25 














26 














27. 














28 














29 














30 














31. 





























Rating tables for Opequon CreeTc near Martinsburg, W. Va. 

MAY 9 TO JUNE 4, 1905.a 



hSiht. Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


h^lit. Di^eharge. 


Feet. 
1.15 
1.20 
1.30 


Second-feet.' 
116 
123 ; 
137 


Feet. 
1.40 
1.50 
1.60 


Second-feet. 
152 
167 
183 


Feet. 
1.70 
1.80 


Second-feet. 
200 
218 


Feet. 
1.90 
2.00 


Second-feet., 
237 
257 







OCTOBER 8 TO DECEMBER 20, 


1905.f> 






1.10 


50 


1.50 


88 


1.90 




140 


2.30 


205 ! 


1.20 


58 


1.60 


100 


2.00 




155 


2.40 


223 ; 


1.30 


67 


1.70 


113 


2.10 




171 


2.50 


242 i 


1.40 


i i 


1.80 


126 


2.20 




188 




i 







DECEMBER 21, 1905 


, TO JULY 15, 1906.C 






1.20 


97 


2.20 


251 


3.20 


549 


4.40 


1,092 


1.30 


109 


2.30 


271 


3.30 


589 


4.60 


1,193 


1.40 


122 


2.40 


293 


3.40 


630 


4.80 


1,295 


1.50 


135 


2.50 


317 


3.30 


672 , 


5.00 


1,399 


1.60 


149 


2.60 


343 


3.60 


715 1 


5.20 


1,504 


1.70 


164 


2.70 


371 


3.70 


759 i 


5.40 


1,610 


1.80 


180 


2.80 


402 


3.80 


804 ; 


5.60 


1,717 


1.90 


197 


2.90 


436 


3.90 


850 1 


5.80 


1,825 


2.00 


214 


3.00 


472 


4.00 


897 1 


6.00 


1,935 


2.10 


232 


3.10 


510 


4.20 


993 I 

1 







a The rating curve on which this table is based has been drawn through one measurement made May, 
1905, and has the form of the 1906 curve. 

b This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. The rating curve has been drawn 
through one measurement made November, 1905, and has the form of the 1906 curve. 

c This tabic is strictlv applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on five discharge 
measurements made during 1906. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 1.5 feet and 3.4 feet. 
Above gage height 6.0 feet the rating curve is a tangent, the difference being 55 per tenth. 



STKEAM FLOW: TUSCAKOKA CREEK. 



81 



Estimated monthly discharge of Opequon Creek near Mariinsburg, W. Va. 
[Drainage area, 275 square miles.] 



Month. 



1905. 

May 9-31 

June 1-4 

October 8-31 

November 

December 

1906. 

xanuary 

February 

Marchi 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-15 



Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-c 








Second-leet 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


per square 
mile. 


253 


116 


144 


0.624 


140 


123 


131 


.476 


155 


50 


67.4 


.245 


90 


50 


61.1 


.222 


2,826 


54 


337 


1.23 


3,436 


153 


352 


1.28 


149 


107 


123 


.447 


2,771 


104 


480 


1.75 


3,310 


205 


509 


1.85 


200 


122 


151 


.549 


1,599 


122 


338 


1.23 


2,980 


138 


387 


1.41 



Depth in 
inches. 



0.448 
.071 
.219 
.248 

1.42 



1.48 
.466 

2.02 

2.06 
.633 

1.37 
.786 



TirSCARORA CREEK AT MARTmSBURG, "W. VA. 

Tuscarora Creek rises in Little North Mountain, in the western 
part of Berkeley County, W. Va., and flows southeastward into 
Opequon Creek about 2 miles southeast of Martinsburg. 

The gaging station was established May 8, 1905, by F. H. Tilling- 
hast. It is located at the dam formerly used to impound water for 
the use of the city of Martinsburg. 

The channel is curved for 20 feet above the dam and straight for 
200 feet beyond this point. The channel below is a steep race way 
from the crest of the dam, paved with riprap. The current is swift. 
Both banks are low, clean, and not liable to overflow. The bed of 
the stream above the dam is fairly uniform and shallow, with a mud 
bottom. There is but one channel at all stages. The stream is liable 
to small fluctuations, owing to the varying demands of factories 
above the station. The water level at the gage is somewhat unsteady. 
The velocity of approach is high. 

It was intended to determine the discharge by applying the weir 
formula to the flow over the crest of the dam. 

A vertical staff gage is bolted to the upstream face of the left abut- 
ment, the zero being set at the level of the floor of the spillway. The 
gage was read twice each day by B. N. Martin. Bench mark No. 1 
is the crest of the dam at the left corner; elevation, 0.04 foot below 
the gage datum. Bench mark No. 2 is the crest of the dam at the 
right corner; elevation, 0.04 foot above the gage datum. 

A current-meter measurement, made May 9, 1905, at gage height 
0.78 foot, gave a discharge of 25.2 second-feet. 

Owing to poor conditions. and especially to the collection of debris 
on the crest of the dam, rendering estimates based on the gage heights 
of little value, this station was abandoned December 31, 1905. 



82 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Tuscarora Creelc at Martinsburg, W . Va. 



11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



Day. 



1905. 



May. 



0.75 



June. 


July. 


Aug. 


0.72 


O.fi 


1.55 


.64 


-.7 


1.75 


.62 


.72 


1.65 


.65 


. 75 


1.7 


.62 


.68 


1.75 


.61 


.85 


1.75 


.9 


.82 


1.3 


.68 


.72 


1.4 


.62 


.78 


1.3 


.62 


.78 


1.25 


.6 


.85 


.88 


.18 


1.45 


.88 


.5 


2.65 


.85 


.7 


3.0 


.78 


.68 


2.35 


.92 


.72 


1.15 


.78 


.65 


.8.5 


.8 


.75 


.82 


1.26 


.78 


.78 


1.02 


.72 


.78 


1.05 


.78 


.08 


1.02 


.8 


.7 


1.1 


.72 


1.02 


1.08 


.28 


1.45 


1.5 


.14 


1.25 


1.15 


.42 


1.1 


.98 


.72 


1.6 


1.35 


.75 


1.5 


2.0 


.72 


1.85 


.85 


.68 


1..55 


.8 




1.55 


.7 



Sept. 



Oct. 



0.08 
. 75 
.85 
.75 
.65 

.6 

.58 

.7 

.55 

.6 



.75 
.65 
.75 



0.75 
.82 
.70 
.85 
.75 

.68 
.75 
.78- 
.68 
.65 

.55 
.55 
.78 
.68 
.65 

.70 
.78 
.08 



Nov. 



0.85 
.9 



Dec. 



0.55 
.65 

1.45 
.85 
.65 

.55 
.55 
. 55 
..55 
.55 

.58 
.55 
.58 
.58 
.65 



.58 
.08 
.65 
.75 



2.16 
1.8 
1.25 
1.0 

.75 

.65 

.7 

.75 

.7 



ANTIETAM CREEK NEAR SHARPSBURG, MDj 

Antietam Creek drains a rolling, fertile country with uniform 
declivity and is uninterrupted by natural falls or rapids. It is util- 
ized to a considerable extent to run mills of various kinds. 

The gaging station was established June 24, 1897, by A. P. Davis, 
and was discontinued August 26, 1905. It is located 1 mile east of 
Sharpsburg, a few hundred feet below the bridge on the toll road 
from Sharpsburg to Keedysville, Md. There is an old dam, not now 
in use, just below the bridge. 

The channel is straight for 300 feet above and below the station. 
It has a width at ordinary stages of about 90 feet, and is shallow and 
unobstructed. There is a good measurable velocity at all stages. 
The right bank is low and liable to overflow; the left bank is high 
and rocky; both are fringed with trees. The bed of the stream is 
composed of gravel, is free from vegetation, and is permanent. 
There is but one channel at all stages. 

Discharge measurements were made from a steel- wire cable, which 
is. supported by the forks of a sycamore tree on each bank and is 
a,nchored to timbers set in the ground. 

The gage was a vertical rod driven into the gravel of the stream 
bed and spiked to a tree on the left bank near the cable. It was 



STREAM FLOW: ANTIETAM CREEK. 



83 



read once each day. The bench mark is a copper bolt set in a ledge 
of rock on the left bank at a point about 125 feet above the cable. 
Its elevation is 16.34 feet above gage datum. 

All estimates previously published have been revised. Estimates 
for stages below gage height 2.0 feet are probably within 10 per cent 
of the true discharge for normal conditions of flow; estimates be- 
tween gage heights 2.0 feet and 4.0 feet are within 5 per cent, and 
estimates above gage height 4.0 feet are within 10 per cent. Allow- 
ance has been made for the discharge of the overflow section. The 
flow is probably affected to a greater or less extent by ice conditions. 

A summary of the records gives the following results: Maximum 
discharge for twenty-four hours, 6,835 second-feet; minimum dis- 
charge for twenty-four hours, 59 second-feet; mean annual discharge 
for five years, 350 second-feet; mean annual rainfall for seven years, 
37.56 inches. 

Discharge measurements of Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md. 



Date. 



1897, 

June 24 , 

July2 

September 3 

October 12 a 

1898, 

January 24 

August 19 

1899. 

January 27 

May 20 

September 5 

1000, 
June 28 



height. 



Feet. 
2.00 
2.05 
1.60 
1.70 



2.70 
3.50 



2.80 
2.60 
1.80 



1.80 



Dis- 
charge. 



Second- 
feet. 
251 
240 
122 
120 



427 
831 



495 
418 
118 



139 



Date. 



1900. 
September 16 ;. . 

1901. 

July 30 

December 28 

1902. 
September 1 

1903. 

March 13 

September 4 

1904. 

Julyl 

July 11 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
1.77 



1.90 
2.20 



1.70 



3.06 
2.10 



1.79 
- 1.79 



Dis- 
charge. 



Second- 
feet. 
131 



185 
266 



126 



584 
224 



158 
150 



a Measurement made near mou ' h of stream. 
Daily gage height, in feet, of Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg , Md. 



1897. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 



July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1.9 


1.5 


1.7 


1.5 


1.45 


1.7 


2.1 


1.7 


1.7 


1.6 


2.7 


1.6 


1.85 


1.7 


1.6 


1.4 


2.1 


1.6 


1.7 


1.75 


1.6 


1.6 


1.9 


1.7 


1.75 


1.6 


1.5 


1.7 


1.6 


2.25 


1.8 


1.7 


1.7 


1.6 


1.6 


2.45 


1.7 


1.7 


1.7 


1.7 


1.7 


2.05 


1.7 


1.5 


1.6 


1.6 


1.75 


2.0 


1.7 


1.4 


1.65 


1.5 


1.8 


1.8 


1.7 


1.7 


1.6 


1.4 


1.6 


1.9 


1.55 


1.9 


1.6 


1.5 


1.55 


1.9 


1.75 


1.85 


1.5 


1.6 


1.5 


1.9 


1.95 


1.6 


1.4 


1.7 


1.6 


2.05 


1.8 


1.7 


1.5 


1.5 


1.4 


2.0 


1.8 


2.45 


1.6 


1.6 


1.5 


2.35 



Day. 



1897. 
16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 



July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec, 



1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.75 

1.75 

1.85 

1.85 

1.7 

1.7 

1.55 

1.65 

1.75 

1.8 

1.85 

1.8 

1.7 



1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.5 

1.5 

1.55 

1.6 

3.0 

2.9 

2.0 

1.75 

1.7 

1.55 

1.8 

1.7 



1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 

1.6 
1.6 
1.7 
1.9 
1.8 

1.5 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 



1.65 

1.6 

1.4 

1.5 

1.7 

1.7 

1.6 

1.6 

1.65 

1.65 

1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 



2.4 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
2.1 
2.5 
2.2 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.9 



84 THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Antietam Creelc near Sharpsburg, Md.- — Continued. 



Day. 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


2.0 


2.4 


2.1 


2.8 


2.0' 


2.4 


1.8 


2.0 


1.9 


1.8 


2.4 


2.6 


2.1 


2.7 


2.0 


2.3 


1.7 


1.9 


1.9 


1.8 


2.1 


2.9 


2.1 


2.6 


2.0 


2.2 


1.8 


1.8 


1.9 


1.7 


1.8 


2.5 


2.1 


2.5 


2.0 


2.2 


1.8 


1.9 


1.9 


1.7 


1.7 


2.4 


2.2 


2.6 


2.0 


2.1 


1.8 


2.5 


2.1 


1.7 


1.5 


2.2 


2.1 


2.5 


2.1 


2.2. 


1.8 


2.0 


2.0 


1.6 


1.9 


2.4 


2.1 


2.5 


2.2 


2.2 


1.7 


1.8 


1.9 


1.7 


1.8 


2.2 


2.1 


2.5 


2.4 


.2.1 


1.7 


1.8 


1.9 


1.6 


1.7 


2.1 


2.0 


2.4 


3.25 


2.1 


1.8 


2.0 


1.9 


1.6 


2.0 


2.1 


2.0 


2.4 


2.7 


2.1 


1.8 


3.1 


1.8 


1.6 


2.1 


2.3 


2.1 


2.4 


2.5 


2.1 


1.8 


3.05 


1.7 


1.6 


1.9 


2.2 


2.1 


2.3 


2.4 


2.15 


1.8 


2.3 


1.9 


1.8 


1 2.0 


2.2 


2.0 


2.3 


2.5 


2.2 


1.8 


2.1 


1.8 


1.7 


1 1.8 


2.2 


2.0 


2.3 


2.3 


2.2 


1.8 


2.0 


1.8 


1.8 


2.9 


2.2 


2.1 


2.35 


2.3 


2.1 


1.8 


2.05 


1.9 


1.7 


3.15 


2.1 


2.0 


2.4 


2.9 


2.1 


1.7 


2.0 


1.8 


1.5 


2.9 


2.0 


2.2 


2.3 


3.0 


2.1 


1.7 


2.0 


1.8 


1.6 


2.5 


2.2 


2.2 


2.3 


2.8 


2.1 


1.8 


5.07 


1.7 


2.75 


2.3 


2.3 


2.2 


2.3 


2.6 


2.0 


1.8 


.3.65 


1.9 


1.8 


2.4 


2.1 


2.0 


2.3 


2.4 


2.1 


1.8 


2.95 


1.8 


2.4 


2.4 


2.6 


2.1 


2.2 


2.4 


2.0 


1.8 


2.45 


1.8 


2.2 


2.2 


2.6 


2.5 


2.2 


3.1 


1.9 


1.8 


2.3 


1.8 


2.9 


2.85 


2.4 


2.55 


2.2 


2.5 


2.1 


1.8 


2.1 


1.9 


2.8 


2.8 


2.6 


2.7 


2.2 


3.0 


2.1 


1.8 


2.0 


1.9 


1.9 


2.6 


2.3 


3.25 


2.3 


2.7 


1.9 


2.2 


1.9 


1.8 


1.7 


2.6 


2.3 


2.95 


2.3 


2.9 


1.9 


1.9 


2.0 


1.8 


2.4 


2.6 


2.2 


2.8 


2.2 


2.7 


1.9 


1.9 


2.0 


1.9 


2.3 


2.5 


2.3 


2.7 


2.2 


2.7 


1.8 


1.8 


1.9 


1.8 


2.1 


2.5 




2.75 


2.2 


2.6 


1.8 


1.8 


2.0 


1.9 


2.1 


2.4 




3.1 


2.1 


2:5 


1.8 


1.8 


2.0 


1.8 


2.1 


2.5 




2.9 




2.4 




1.9 


2.0 




2.1 


2.8 


2.7 


4.75 


3.4 


2.4 


2.4 


2.1 


1.7 


1.8 


1.8 


2.7 


2.6 


4.2 


3.3 


2.45 


3.75 


1.9 


1.6 


1.8 


1.8 


2.6 


2.6 


4.1 


3.2 


2.9 


2.6 


2.0 


2.55 


1.7 


1.7 


2.7 


2.6 


3.85 


3.2 


2.5 


2.6 


1.85 


1.9 


2.0 


1.6 


3.0 


2.8 


4.8 


3.1 


2.5 


2.4 


1.9 


1.8 


1.8 


1.6 


3.4 


2.8 


4.4 


3.0 


2.5 


2.4 


1.8 


1.7 


1.8 


1.5 


3.55 


2.5 


4.05 


2.9 


2.4 


2.3 


2.0 


1.9 


1.7 


1.5 


3.2 


2.4 


3.9 


3.25 


2.55 


2.3 


1.9 


1.7 


1.7 


1.5 


3.0 


2.6 


3.6 


3.1 


2.7 


2.45 


1.9 


1.7 


1.85 


1.7 


3.0 


2.8 


3.5 


3.0 


2.55 


2.7 


2.0 


1.8 


1.6 


1.6 


2.9 


2.6 


3.5 


2.9 


2.5 


2.65 


1.9 


1.8 


2.3 


1.5 


2.8 


2.8 


3.4 


2.8 


2.5 


2.4 


1.8 


2.35 


2.1 


1.5 


2.9 


2.8 


3.3 


2.8 


2.5 


2.4 


2.15 


1.9 


1.85 


1.5 


3.0 


2.8 


3.2 


2.8 


2.4 


2.35 


2.0 


2.0 


1.8 


1.5 


3.0 


2.9 


3.2 


2.8 


2.3 


2.3 


1.9 


1.9 


1.7 


1.4 


3.0 


2.9 


3.5 


2.8 


2.4 


2.3 


1.85 


1.8 


1.6 


1.8 


3.0 


2.8 


3.2 


2.7 


2.2 


2.3 


1.95 


1.9 


1.6 


1.7 


3.0 


2.9 


3.2 


2.7 


3.15 


2.2 


1.8 


1.8 


1.7 


1.6 


2.9 


2.9 


3.7 


2.7 


2.8 


2.25 


1.8,5 


1.8 


2.0 


1.6 


2.8 


2.8 


3.75 


2.6 


2.6 


2.2 


1.8 


1.6 


1.9 


1.6 


2.8 


3.2 


3.4 


2.6 


2.5 


2.2 


1.8 


1.8 


1.9 


1.6 


2.8 


4.3 


3.4 


2.6 


2.5 


2.1 


1.8 


1.7 


1.8 


1.6 


2.8 


4.1 


3.5 


2.5 


2.5 


2.0 


2.05 


1.8 


1.8 


1.7 


2.8 


3.7 


3.4 


2.4 


2.4 


2.1 


1.9 


1.7 


1.7 


1.6 


3.25 


3.5 


3.3 


2.5 


2.3 


2.05 


1.7 


1.65 


1.9 


1.6 


2.9 


4.5 


3.2 


2.45 


2.3 


2.2 


1.75 


1.7 


1.9 


1.5 


2.9 


5.4 


3.0 


2.5 


2.3 


2.1 


1.7 


3.45 


1.8 


1.5 


2.8 


5.15 


3.5 


2.5 


2.3 


2.15 


1.6 


2.8 


1.8 


1.5 


2.8 




3.9 


2.5 


2.2 


2.1 


1.6 


2.3 


1.9 


1.5 


2.7 




3.7 


2.4 


2.45 


2.2 


1.6 


2.0 


1.9 


1.6 


2.7 




3.5 




2.4 




1.8 


1.9 




1.6 



Nov. 



1 

2 . - 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8... 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 .- 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29.... 

30 

31 

1899 

1 

2 

3 

4. 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 '. 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 



2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.1 
1.9 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.9 

2.5 

2.15 

2.2 

2.2 

2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
2.0 
2.6 
2.5 

2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.4 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 



2.4 

2.25 

2.0 

1.8 
1.8 

1.9 
1.8 
1.5 
1.6 
1.7 

1.6 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 

1.6 
1.7 
1.6 
1.7 
1.7 



STREAM FLOW : ANTIETAM CREEK. 
Daily gage height, in feet, of Antietam Creek near Sharpshurg, Md. — Continued. 



85 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1900. 

1 


1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 

1.7 
1.7 
1.8 
1.9 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.8 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.8 
2.1 

2.5 
2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
■1.7 

2.3 
2.2 
2.0 
1.8 
1.6 
1.6 

1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 

1.5 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 

1.5 
1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 


1.6 
1.7 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 

1.6 
1.5 
2.0 
2.2 
2.0 

1.9 
2.0 
2.7 
2.7 
2.4 

2.4 
2.2 
2.1 
2.2 
2.2 

2.3 

4.15 

3.75 

3.05 

3.8 

3.3 
3.0 
3.0 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.5 
1.4 

1.6 
1.4 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 

1.7 
1.7 
1.8 
1.6 
1.3 

1.4 
1.5 
1.5 


3.8 
3.6 
3.0 

2.8 
2.7 

2.7 

2.75 

2.6 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 

2.3 

2.25 

2.4 

2.9 

3.1 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 

2.5 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.6 
2.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.5 
1.6 

1.5 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

5.35 

3.35 

2.45 

2.2 

2.3 

2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.45 

2.4 

2.2 

2.2 

2.1 

2.2 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.1 

2.2 


2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.2 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.3 

2.2 

2.3 

2.35 

2.3 

2.7 
2.3 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 

2.2 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.8 

2.7 

3.3 

5.25 

3.65 

3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
2.85 

2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.7 
4.3 

3.45 

2.9 

2.7 

2.6 

2.95 

3.6 
3.6 
3.2 
3.0 
2.9 

2.8 
2.9 
2.8 
2.7 
2.6 


2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.1 
2.0 

1.9 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 

1.8 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
2.0 

1.9 
2.0 
2.0 
2.4 
3.1 

2.4 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
2.0 
1.9 
2.1 

2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.3 
2.2 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.1 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.15 

2.1 
4.8 
6.3 
3.7 
3.85 

3.4 
3.4 
3.1 
3.0 
3.5 
3.0 


2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
2.0 
1.9 

1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.9 
1.7 

2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 

1.85 

2.1 

2.2 

2.55 

2.1 

2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.8 

1.8 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 

2.8 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

2.5 
2.8 
2.7 
2.6 
2.4 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.4 

2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.2 

2.3 

2.3 

2.35 

2.2 


1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.5 
1..7 

1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.7 
1.6 

1.5 

1.55 

1.5 

1.55 

1.6 

1.45 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.6 

1.5 

1.4 

1.9 

1.85 

1.65 

2.0 

1.9 

1.8 

1.55 

1.4 

1.4 

2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 

2.1 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.2 
2.5 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 

2.5 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.5 

2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 


1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.45 

1.5 

1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.7 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 ■ 
1.7 

1.8 ' 

1.8 

1.7 

1.7 

1.8 

1.7 
1.7 
2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.7 

1.9 

1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.8 

2.1 
2.6 
2.4 
2.2 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
3.9 

2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
1.9 
1.8 

1.9 
1.8 
1.9 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
2.05 


1.6 
1.6 
1.4 
1.6 
1.7 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 

1.8 

'i.'i'" 

1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.6 

2.5 
2.3 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
2.6 

2.0 

2.1 
2.0 
1.8 
1.7 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.6 

1.6 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
2.15 



1.4 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 

1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.5 
1.6 

1.6 

1.5 

1.5 

2.05 

1.9 

1.7 
1.6 
1.4 
1.6 
1.6 

1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.8 
1.7 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.3 
1.4 
1.6 

2.0 
1.9 
2.2 
2.0 

1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.7 
1.7 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
.1.5 
1.6 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.7 
1.7 


1.7 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.4 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.5 
1.4 
1.7 
1.5 
1.7 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.5 
1.5 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

2.5 
2.1 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.4 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.4 


1.55 


2 


1.55 


3 


1.5 


4 


2.3 


5 


2.4 


6 


2.0 




1.6 


8 


1.7 


9 


1.7 


10 


1.6 


11 


1.6 


12 - 


1.5 


13 


1.5 


14 


1.5 


15 


1.4 


16 


1.3 


17 ... 


1.5 


18 


1.4 


19 


1.5 


20 


1.5 


21 


1.5 


22 


1.5 


23 


1.5 


24 . 


1.4 


25 


1.3 


26 


1.6 


27 


1.5 


28 


1.5 


29 


1.5 


30 


1.4 


31 


1.5 


1901. 
1 




2 




3 




4 . . . 




5 




6.. . 




7 




8 




9 




10 




11 




12 




13.. .... 




14 




15 




16 




17 




18 






19 






20 






21 






22 












24 






25 






26 






27 






2S 


...... 


2.2 
4.7 
4.5 
3.3 


29 

30 


31 



86 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 



Jan. 



Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


2.4 


7.0 


2.9 


2.6- 


2.1 


2.2 


2.6 


1.7 


1.7 


1.6 


2.4 


5.05 


2.9 


2.5 


2.2 


2.1 


2.4 


1.6 


1.8 


1.7 


2.6 


4fi 


2.8 


2.5 


2.2 


2.1 


1.8 


1.6 


1.6 


1.7 


2.5 


3.9 


2.8 


2.5 


2.2 


2.0 


1.8 


1.7 


1.6 


1.6 


2.4 


4 


2.8 


2..") 


2.1 


2.0 


1.9 


1.6 


2.3 


1.6 


2.3 


3.6 


2.7 


2.4 


2.1 


1.9 


1.9 


1.5 


2.1 


1.7 


2.2 


3.5 


2.9 


2.4 


2.1 


2.3 


1.9 


1.5 


1.9 


1.7 


2.1 


3.5 


3.9 


2.4 


2 


2.7 


1.7 


1.4 


1.7 


1.7 


2.1 


3.7 


6.45 


2.3 


2.0 


2.7 


1.7 


1.6 


1.7 


1.7 


2.3 


4 2 


4 45 


2.3 


2.0 


3.5 


1.6 


1.6 


1.6 


1.7 


2.4 


4.4 


3.9 


2.4 


2.0 


2.0 


1.8 


1.7 


1.8 


1.6 


2.2 


4 4 


3.6 


2.3 


2.1 


2.0 


1.8 


1.6 


1.8 


1.6 


2.3 


4.8 


3.5 


2.3 


2.2 


1.8 


1.7 


1.7 


2.1 


1.6 


2.2 


4.7 


3.3 


2.3 


2.2 


1.8 


1.6 


1.5 


1.9 


1.5 


2.2 


3.9 


3.2 


2.3 


2.2 


1.8 


1.6 


1.4 


1.8 


1.5 


2.0 


3.7 


3.1 


2.2 


2.3 


1.8 


1.6 


1.6 


1.7 


1.6 


2.2 


5.1 


3.1 


2.2 


2.4 


1.7 


1.4 


1.6 


1.7 


1.7 


2.1 


4 2 


3.0 


2.2 


2.4 


1.7 


1.4 


1.6 


1.7 


1.7 


1.9 


3.7 


2.9 


2.9 


2.2 


2.4 


1.5 


1.6 


1.6 


1.6 


2.0 . 


3.5 


2.9 


2.4 


2.3 


2,7 


1.5 


1.5 


1.8 


1.6 


3.15 


3.6 


2.8 


2.3 


2.3 


1.8 


2.0 


1.5 


1.7 


1.6 


4.7 


3.4 


2.8 


2.3 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.4 


1.7 


1.5 


3.6 


3.4 


2.8 


2.2 


2.0 


1.7 


1.9 


1.5 


1.8 


1.5 


3.5 


3.4 


2.7 


2.2 


2.0 


1.7 


1.7 


1.7 


1.7 


1.5 


6.2 


3.1 


2.7 


2.4 


1.9 


1.9 


1.5. 


1.7 


1.7 


1.6 


10. 5a 


3.0 


2.6 


2.6 


2.2 


1.8 


1.5 


1.8 


1.7 


1.8 


5.15 


3.0 


2.6 


2.2 


2.2 


1.8 


1.5 


2.3 


1 7 


2.2 


7.45 


2.9 


2.6 


2.3 


2.2 


1.7 


1.6 


1.6 


1.7 


2.1 




3.4 


2.6' 


2.2 


2.2 


1.7 


1.5 


1.6 


2.1 


1.8 




3.1 


2.7 


2.2 


2.4 


1.9. 


1.5 


1.5 


1.8 


2.3 




3.0 




2.2 




2.55 


1.4 




1.6 




3.5 


4 3 


3.2 


2.9 


2.5 


3.9 


2.5 


2.3 


2.0 


1.85 


3.2 


3.8 


3.1 


2.9 


2.4 


3.0 


2.5 


2.2 


1.95 


1.9 


3.4 


3.6 


3.1 


2.9 


2.3 


2.8 


2.4 


2.2 


1.95 


1.9 


41 


3.9 


3.2 


2.8 


2.3 


3.0 


2.4 


2.1 


2.0 


1.9 


3.8 


41 


3.0 


2.9 


2.3 


3.0 


2.6 


2.1 


1.9 


1.8 


3.5 


3.8 


2.9 


2.8 


2.35 


3.8 


2.6 


2.05 


1.9 


1.8 


3.2 


4 


3.0 


2.7 


2.4 


2.9 


2.7 


2.0 


1.85 


1.8 


3.2 


3.8 


3.2 


2.7 


2.45 


2.8 


2.5 


2.1 


3.0 


1.85 


3.4 


3.6 


3.3 


2.7 


2.fi 


2.7 


2.6 


2.3 


2.5 


1.85 


3.3 


3.5 


3.1 


2.6 


2.4 


2.7 


2.6. 


2.2 


2.2 


1.85 


4.5 


3.3 


3.1 


2.6 


2.35 


3.3 


2.5 


2.1 


2.1 


1.8 


4.7 


3.2 


3.1 


2.5 


2.5 


c7.9 


2.5 


2.1 


2.1 


1.9 


45 


3.1 


3.1 


2. ,5 


2.5 


6.1 


2.3 


2.1 


2.1 


1.9 


4 


3.0 


45 


2.4 


2.45 


3.7 


2.3 


2.2 


2.0 


1.9 


3.8 


3.0 


5.7 


2.4 


2.5 


3.3 


2.2 


2.2 


2.0 


1.85 


3.7 


2.9 


0.7 


2.4 


2.4 


3.0 


3.6 


2.1 


2.1 


1.85 


3.5 


2.9 


5.45 


2.5 


2.3 


3.0 


3.2 


3.0 


2.15 


1.95 


3.2 


2.8 


46 


2.4 


2.4 


3.2 


2.4 


2.4 


2.05 


1.9 


3.0 


2.8 


4 3 


2.4 


2.3 


3.2 


2.4 


2.2 


2.0 


1.9 


2.8 


2.7 


40 


2.4 


2.5 


3.0 


2.3 


2.2 


2.1 


1.9 


2.6 


2.9 


3.8 


2.4 


2.4 


3.0 


2.2 


2.1 


2.1 


1.9 


2.5 


3.0 


3.6 


2.4 


2.3 


3.0 


2.2 


2.0 


2.1 


1.95 


2.5 


3.1 


3.5 


2.4 


2.4 


2.7 


2.2 


1.9 


2.1 


1.95 


2.3 


3.5 


3.4 


2.6 


2.3 


2.7 


2.2 


1.9 


2.1 


1.95 


2.6 


3.3 


3.4 


2.5 


2.35 


2.6 


2.2 


1.9 


2.0 


2.0 


3.0 


3.2 


3.3 


2.5 


2.3 


2.6 


2.3 


2.0 


2.0 


1.8 


4 45 


3.1 


3.2 


2.4 


2.3 


2.5 


2.1 


2.0 


2.0 


1.8 


5.75 


2.9 


3.1 


2.4 


2.3 


2.5 


2.0 


2.0 


2.0 


1.9 




2.8 


3.0 


2.3 


3.6 


2.7 


2.7 


1.9 


2.0 


1.9 




42 


3.0 


3.3 


3.1 


2.8 


2.5 


1.9 


1.9 


1.9 




40 




2.6 




2.7 


2.4 




1.9 





11. 

12. 
13. 

14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



9. 
10. 

11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
•29. 
30. 
31. 



1902. 



1903. !> 



2.9 
2.7 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 



2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
i 2.2 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

3.8 
4 25 
2.7 
2.4 
2.4 

2.3 

4 25 

3.2 

2.7 

2.6 

2.4 



3.7 
3.9 
48 
45 
43 

43 
41 
3.8 
3.6 
2.8 

2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.6 

2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.7 
2.9 

3; 5 
3.9 
3.7 
3.5 
3.5 

3.6 
42 
44 
4 2 
3.9 
3.5 



a Gage height estimated February 26, 1902. 
6 Ice conditions during part of December, 1903. 
cHighest record, 10.2 feet, 6 p. m., July 12, 1903. 



STEEAM flow: ANTIETAM CREEK. 



87 



Daily gage height, in feet, of Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md. — Continued" 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


bept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1904.a 
1 . ... 


1.9 

1.9 

1.75 

2.1 

1.9 

1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.85 

1.85 

1.9 

1.85 

1.85 

1.7 

1.7 
1.7 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.85 
3.9 
i>6.0 














1.6 

1.6 

1.8 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

3.0 

1.8 

1.65 

1.55 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 
1.85 
1.75 
1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.45 

1.5 . 

1.5 

1.5 

2.25 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.2 

2.35 

2.3 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
2.0 

2.3 
2.3 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
6.05 

(d) 


1.5 . 

1.5 

1.5 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 

1.45 

1.55 

1.45 

1.85 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 

1.65 

1.65 

1.8 
1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 

1.45 

1.5 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 


1.45 

1.45 

1.4 

1.55 

1.5 

1.45 

1.5 

1.45 

1.45 

1.5 

1.5 

1.6 

1.75 

1.6 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.65 

1.95 

1.65 

1.6 

1.5 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 

1.55 

1.45 

1.5 


1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.5 
1.65 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 

1.5 

1.55 
1.55 
1.5 
1.55 

1.5 

1.45 

1.35 

1.45 

1.5 


1.45 


2 














1.45 


3 














1.45 


4 . ... 














1.45 


5 














1.4 


6 . . 














1.5 . 


7 














1.45 


g 














1.45 


9 














1.45 


10 














1.5 


11 














1.55 


12 












62.2 
2.2 
1.9 
1.75 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 

1.65 

1.6 

1.7 

1.75 

1.85 

1.7 

1.6 

1.6 

1.85 

1.7 

1.6 

1.8 

1.8 

1.85 

1.8 

2.95 

2.1 

2.0 

1.95 

1.85 

1.8 

1.75 

1.85 

1.8 

1.85 

3.25 

2.15 

2.05 

2.0 

2.45 

2.4 

1.9 

1.8 

2.25 

5.0 

3.65 

2.25 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.65 

2.45 


1.4 


13 












1.6 


14 












1.5 















1.45 


16 












1.55 


17 












1.55 


18 












1.55 


19 












1.55 














1.6 


21 












1.65 


22 












1.65 


23 












1.55 


24 












1.6 
















1.65 
















1.75 


27 .... 














1.7 


28 














1.8 


29 















2.15 
















2.05 


31 














1.75 


.1905. c 
1 


1.65 

1.6 

1.7 

1.75 

1.9 

1.75 

3.5 

2.7 

2.25 

2.1 

2.1 

2.05 

2.45 

2.2 

2.05 

2.45 

2.55 

2.1 

1.95 

1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

1.85 

1.75 

1.8 

1.8 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

1.9 

1.9 


1.85 

1.9 

1.9 

1.8 

1.75 

2.0 
1.9 
2.0 

1.85 
1.85 

1.9 
1.8 
1.9 
1.9 
1.75 

1.8 

1.8 

1.85 

1.8 

1.85 

1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 

1.75 
1.95 
1.85 


1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

1.95 

2.0 

2.1 

2.15 

2.8 

3.4 

3.05 

2.95 

2.8 

2.8 

2.7 

2.6 

2.7 

2.95 

3.1 

3.6 

3.6 

3.4 

3.2 

3.05 

3.95 

3.8 
3 35 
31 

ao 

2.9 
2.8 


2.75 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.7 

2.8 

2.65 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.55 

2.55 

2.45 

2.5 

2.45 

2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 


2.1 

2.1 

2.05 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 
2.05 
2.0 
2.0 

1.95 

2.0 

1.95 

1.95 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

2.25 

2.05 

2.05 

1.95 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

1.8 

1.8 

1.85 

1.8 

1.85 

1.9 

1.9 


1.85 

1.9 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.75 

2.15 

2.1 

1.95 

1.8 

1.8 
2.1 
2.2 
2.0 
1.9 

1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.8 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

2.6 

2.2 

1.9 

2.0 

1.95 

1.95 

1.85 




2 










3 










4 










5 










6 










7 




















9 










10 










11 










12 










13 










14 










15 










16 










17 










18 










19 










20 










21 










22 










23 










24 










25 










26 










27 










28 












29 : . . . . 












30 












31 













"■ Ice conditions during January, 1904. 

b Ice carried gage awav Januarj^ 23, 1904; reestablished July 12, 1904. 

c Ice conditions during part of February, 1905. 

d Gage washed out August 26, 1905. 



88 



THE POTOMAC BIVEE BASIN. 



Rating table for Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md., from June 2i, 1897, to August 

25, 1905.a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


1.30 


59 


2.60 


399 


3.90 


1,035 


6.40 


2,795 


1.40 


74 


2.70 


437 


4.00 


1,095 


6.60 


2,9.55 


1.50 


91 


2.80 


476 


4.20 


1,215 


6.80 


3,125 


1.60 


110 


2.90 


517 


4.40 


1,345 


7.00 


3,295 


1.70 


131 


3.00 


560 


4.60 


1,475 


7.50 


3,740 


1.80 


153 


3.10 


605 


4.80 


1,610 


8.00 


4,205 


1.90 


177 


3.20 


652 


5.00 


1,750 


8.50 


4,690 


2.00 


203 


3.30 


701 


5.20 


1,890 


9.00 


5,195 


2.10 


231 


3.40 


752 


5.40 


2,030 


9. .50 


5,720 


2.20 


261 


3.50 


S05 


5.60 


2,180 


10.00 


6,270 


2. .30 


293 


3.60 


860 


5.80 


2,330 


10.50 


6,835 


2.40 


327 


3.70 


915 


6.00 


2,480 






2.50 


362 


3.80 


975 


6.20 


2,635 


1 





1 This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. If is based on discharge measure - 
ments made during 1897-1904. It is well defined between gage heights 1.7 feet and 3.5 feet. Estimates 
above 3.5 feet and below 1.7 feet are based on the extension of the area and velocity curves. Overflow 
at this section begins at about gage height 6.0 feet. It was assumed to amount to 300 second-feet at 
gage height 10.0 feet, or a mean velocity in the overflow portion of about one-half the velocity in the 
main channel. 



Estimated monthly discharge of Antietam Creelt near Sharpsburg, Md. 
[Drainage area, 295 square miles.] 





Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-off. 


Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 


Precipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


In 
inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1897. , 
July 


231 
560 
177 
153 
437 
362 


100 
74 
74 
74 
74 

110 


146 
161 
114 
109 
140 
210 


0.495 
• .546 
.386 
.369 
.475 
.712 


0.571 
.630 
.431 
.425 
.530 
.821 








August 
































December 
















1898. 
Jannarv 


628 
517 
676 
476 
676 
327 
261 
1,799 
231 
456 


91 
203 
203 
231 
203 
153 
131 
153 
131 

91 
131 
203 


303 
302 
312 
316 
375 
226 
159 
322 
167 
200 
249 
598 


1.03 
1.02 
1.06 
1.07 
1.27 
.766 
.539 
1.09 
.566 
.678 
.844 
2.03 


1.19 
1.06 
1.22 
1.19 
1.46 
.855 
.621 
1.26 
6.32 
.782 
.942 
2.34 








February 








March 
















May... 








June 








Julv 












September 

October 
















399 
4,015 








December 











The year 


4,015 


91 


294 


.997 


13.55 


1 








1899. 


832 
2,030 
1,610 
752 
517 
945 
246 
778 
293 
153 
327 
418 


399 
327 
560 
327 
261 
203 
110 
110 
110 
74 
91 
91 


529 
682 
897 
483 
358 
317 
169 
200 
160 
109 
144 
133 


1.79 
2.31 
3.04 
1.64 
1.21 
1.07 
.572 
.678 
.542 
.369 
.488 
.451 


2.06 
2.40 
3.50 
1.83 
1.40 
1.19 
.660 
.782 
.605 
.425 
.544 
.520 


103 
56 
88 

193 
28 
. 28 
60 
20 
13 
26 
22 
23 


2.00 
4.30 
4.00 
.95 
5.08 
4.19 
1.10 
3.85 
4.68 
1.63 
2.46 
2.26 


—0.06 


February 


1.90 


March 


.50 




— .88 




3.68 


June 


3.00 


July 


.44 


August 


3.07 


September 


4.07 


October 


1.20 




1.92 


December 


1.74 






The year 


2,030 


74 


349 


1.18 


1.5.92 


44 


36.50 


20.58 



STREAM flow: ANTIETAM CEEEK. 89 

Estimated monthly discharge of Aniietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Md. — Continued. 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



Minimum. Mean 



Run-off. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



Depth in 
inches. 



Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



Loss in 
inches. 



1900. 

January 

February ... 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September a . 

October 

November 

December . . . 



The year.. 

1901. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 1-16. 
December 28-31. 



The year. 



1902. 

January 

February... 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

Septembiir. . 

October 

November. . 
December. . . 



The year. 



1903. 

January 

February... 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September.. 

October 

November. . 
December c_ 



The vear. 



362 
1,185 
975 
362 
605 
380 
203 
203 
153 
217 
362 
327 



1,185 



131 

153 

1,995 

1,925 

2,715 

476 

362 

1,035 

399 

261 

110 

1,540 



1,248 

6,835 

3,295 

2,835 

517 

327 

805 

399 

293 

293 

293 

1,155 



6,835 



1,610 

2,292 

1,280 

3,040 

701 

860 

4,110 

860 

560 

560 

203 

399 



4,110 



91 
91 

277 
203 
153 
131 
74 
74 
74 
59 
74 
59 



158 
372 

432 
291 
222 
181 
115 
112 

91. 

99. 
114 
110 



.536 
1.26 
1.46 
.986 
.753 
.614 
.390 
.380 
.311 
.336 
.386 
.373 



.618 
1.31 
1.68 
1.10 
.868 
.685 
.450 
.438 
.347 
.387 
.431 
.430 



2.34 
3.82 
2.71 
1.38 
2.52 
4.52 
4.34 
3.00. 
2.25 
1.37 
3.07 
1.59 



59 



192 



.649 



8.75 



74 

59 

74 

362 

231 

261 

153 

131 

110 

91 

74 

261 



90.5 
92.4 

285 

632 

523 

341 

238 

218 

171 

130 
98.4 

978 



.307 
.313 
.966 I 

2.14 

1.77 

1.16 
.807 
.739 
.580 
.441 
.334 

3.32 



.354 
.326 
1.11 
2.39 
2.04 
1.29 
.930 
.852 
.647 
.508 
.199 
.494 



231 

177 

517 

399 

261 

177 

131 

74 

74 

110 

91 

1.53 



399 
293 
437 
517 
293 
293 
362 
203 
177 
165 
153 
153 



153 



410 
871 
1,068 
662 
313 
249 
232 
141 
113 
150 
131 
570 



1.39 
2.95 
3.62 
2.24 
1.06 
.844 
.786 
.478 
.383 
.508 
.444 
1.93 



409 



1.39 



843 
849 
750 
926 
398 
350 
738 
354 
242 
226 
172 
195 



2.88 
2.54 
3.14 
1.35 
1.19 
2.50 
1.20 
.820 
.766 
.583 
.661 



504 



1.71 



1.60 
3.07 
4.17 
2.50 
1.22 
.942 
.906 
5.51 
.427 
.586 
.495 
2.22 



18.69 



3.30 
3.00 
2.93 
3.50 
1.56 
1.33 
2.88 
1.38 
.915 
.883 
.6.50 
.762 



23.09 



27 32. 91 



48 
69 
105 
98 
97 
22 
29 
60 
26 
16 
20 
56 



2.16 

.63 

3.92 

5.73 

5.71 

4.43 

3.77 

4.33 

2.51 

.89 

6 2.36 

i>5.83 



42.27 



3.30 
4.44 
3.98 
2.54 
1.26 
4.28 
3.09 
.91 
1.64 
3.73 
2.48 
3.98 



52 1 35.63 



84 
109 
91 
94 
36 
23 
40 
27 
57 
•27 
47 
69 



53 



3.95 
2.74 
3.23 
3.73 
4.28 
5.86 
7.20 
5.10 
1.60 
3.21 
1.38 
1.11 



43.39 



a Discharge interpolated September 17, 1900. 

6 Precipitation for complete month, November and December, 1901. 

c iCe conditions during part of December, 1903; no correction made in esti'mates. 



1.72 
2.51 
1.03 

.28 
1.65 
3.84 
3.89 
2.56 
1.90 

.98 
2.64 
1.16 



24.16 



1.81 
.30 
2.81 
3.34 
3.67 
3.14 
2.84 
3.48 
1.86 



1.70 

1.37 

- .19 

.04 

.04 

3.34 

2.18 

.36 

1.21 

3.14 

1.99 

1.76 



16.94 



0.65 

- .26 

.30 

.23 

2.72 

4.53 

4.32 

3.72 

.68 

2.33 

.73 

.35 



20.30 



90 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Antietavi Creek near Sharpsbiirg, Md. — Continued. 





Discharge in second-feet. 


Eun-oflE. 


Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 


Precipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth In 
inches. 


In Loss in 
inches, inches. 


1904. 
January 1-23" 


2.480 


131 


300 


1.02 


. .872 




1 
6 2.42 


Feb rua rv ' 




1.08 .. . 


March ' 




1.98 








1.95 


Mav -- ! 






2.73 ' . - 


June ' 








5.54 


Julv 12-31 


261 
560 
165 
190 
120 
246 


110 145 
82 126 

74 1 101 
74 I 96. 7 
66 ; 92.8 
74 i 110 


.492 
.427 
.342 
.328 
.315 
.373 


.366 




6 4.05 


August 

September 

October 

November 


.492 
.382 
.378 
.351 
.430 


19 
13 

15 
41 
17 


2.54 
2.86 
2.53 
.85 
2.46 


2.05 

2.48 

2.15 

.50 


December 


2.03 


The year 












30.99 


















1905. 


805 
203 
1,065 
476 
231 


1 
110 229 -776 


.895 
.569 
1.98 
1.26 
.766 
.718 
1.22 
1.03 


22 1 4.00 
31 ! 1.86 
79 2. ^ 


3. 10 


February c 

March _ 


131 ! 161 
131 508 
231 332 


.546 
1.72 
1.13 


1.29 
.52 


April 


68 
33 

12 
18 


1.84 
2.31 
5.84 
6.84 
d4.84 
2.11 
3.71 


.58 


May 


l.";3 ! 196 .664 


1.54 


June 

Julv 


399 ; 131 : 190 .644 
1,750 142 311 1.06 
2,518 1 177 326 1.11 


5.12 
5.62 


A ugust 1-25 










October 


1 








November 


1 






1.92 




December 


1 






3.48 














The year. 


1 






41.25 






1 1 1 


1 





a Ice conditions during January, 1904; no correction made in estimates. 

>> Precipitation for complete month. January and July, 1904. 

<^ Ice conditions during part of February, 1905; no correction made in estimates. 

d Precipitation for complete month, August, 1905. 

MISCELLANEOUS DISCHARaE MEASUREMENTS IN POTOMAC RIVER BASIN BETWEEN MOUTH 
OF SOUTH BRANCH AND SHENANDOAH RIVER. 

The following miscellaneous discharge measurements have been 
made in the drainage basin of Potomac River between the mouth oi 
South Branch and Shenandoah River: 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements in Potomac River basin between mbuth of South 
Branch and Shenandoah Rivers. 



Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width. 


-\rea ol 
section. 


Mean 
veloc- 
ity. 


Dis- 
charge. 










Square 


Ft. per 




1897. 






Feel. 


feet. 


second. 


Sec.-ft. 


September 25.. 


Town Creek 


200 yards above Chesapeake 
and Ohio Canal.and 3 miles 
below junction of North 
and South branches of Po- 
tomac River. 


22 


11 


LOO 


11 


September 29.. 


Little Cacapon River. 


Near Little Cacapon, W. Va. 


4 


1.8 


.89 


1.6 


September 26. . 
Do 


Purslane Run 


Near Pawpaw, ^\ . \ a 








.5 


Fifteemnile Creek. . . . 


Near Little Orleans. Md 






.5 


Do 


Sideling Hill Creek. . . 


.•\.boveslackwater,near Line- 
burg. W. Va. 


9 


2.1 


.67 


L4 


September 29.. 


Great Cacapon River. 


One-half mile above mouth, 
near Great Cacapon. W.Va. 


64 


123 


.66 


81 


October 11 


Sir Johns Run 


Near Sir Johns Run, W.Va.. 


2.5 


.55 


1.63 


.9 


Do 


Tonolowav Creek 


Near Hancock, Md 


8 


3.2 


L68 


.5.4 


Do 


Potomac River 


At Hancock, Md 


180 


364 


.50 


202 



a Residents state river very low. 



STREAM FLOW : SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN. 



91 



Miscellaneous discharge measurements in Potomac River basin between mouth of South 
Branch and Shenandoah Rivers — Continued. 



Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width. 


Area of 
section. 


Mean 
veloc- 
ity. 


Dis- 
charge. 










Square 


Ft. per 




1897. 






Feet. 


feet. 


second. 


Sec.-ft. 


September 30.. 


Warm Spring Run . . . 


Below Baltimore and Ohio 
R . R . , near Hancock, Md . 


6 


2.1 


1.28 


2.7 


October 1 


Great Tonoloway 
Creek. 


Short distance above Chesa- 
peake and Ohio Canal aque- 
duct, near Hancock, Md. 


9 


•4 


1.40 


5.6 


Do 


Sleepy Creek 


One-lourth mile above Bal- 


8 


3 


. i 1 


2.3 






timore and Ohio R. R. 














bridge, near Munson, 














W. Va. 










Do 


Licking Creek 


Short distance above Chesa- 
peake and Ohio Canal aque- 
duct, near Emstville, Md. 


33 


36 


.61 


22 


October 7 


Back Creek 


Near Baltimore and Ohio 
R. R. bridge, above North 


29 


11 


.59 


fl.5 












Mountain, W. Va. 










Octobers 


do 


Near mouth, near North 
Mountain, W. Va'. 








.50 














October 7 


Big Spring Run 


At Charles Mills, near Big 
Spring, Md. 


4 


7.2 


.53 


3.« 


Do 


Little Conococheague 
Creek. 


At Charles Mills, near Four 
Locks, Md. 


2.5 


L2 


2.08 


2.5 


October 2 


Conococheague Creek. 


500 feet belovi' northeast 
turnpike bridge, near Wil- 
liamsport, Md. 


125 


124 


1.60 


198 


Octobers 


Opequon Creek 


Near mouth, near Bedington 
\V. Va. 


58 


65 


.77 


50 


Octobers 


Marsh Run (tribu- 
tary to Antietam 
Creek) . 


Street crossing, below south 
end drain, Hagerstown, 
Md. 


4 


3.1 


L16 


3.6 


1898. 














October 2 


Antietam Creek 


At Stonebreaker's paper 
mill, near Hagerstown, 
Md. 


68 


68 


1.03 


a 70 


1894. 














July 2 




At Harpers Ferry, W. Va 








61,223 


1897. 














October 13.. .. 


do 


do... -. 








c377 













o Gage height on Antietam Creek at Sharpsburg, Md., 1. 8 feet. 

6 Gage height on Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, W. Va., 2.52 feet. 

c77 second-feet in river, and 300 second-feet in Pulp Company's canal. 



- SHEKAIVDOAH RIVER BASIX. 

SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN. 

SOUTH RIVER BASIN. 
SOUTH RIVER AT BASIC CITY, VA, 

South River rises near Greenville, in the southern part of Augusta 
Countj^, Va., and flows eastward and northward to Port Republic, 
Rockingham County, where it unites with North River to form South 
Fork of the Shenandoah. Its drainage area is 245 square miles. It 
is fed by numerous springs and is utilized to a considerable extent by 
small mills. 

The gagiag station was established June 29, 1905, by N. C. Grover, 
in connection with the investigation of stream pollution in the Shen- 
andoah Valley. It was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located at 
the highway bridge one-half mile below the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Railway bridge at Basic City, Va. 
lEE 192—07 7 



92 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 



The channel is straight for 300 feet above and 500 feet below the 
station. The current is sluggish at ordinary stages. Both banks are 
subject to overflow, the right bank only during very high water. The 
bed of the stream is composed of rocks and mud and is liable to change 
after floods. The approximate depth of water is 3 to 4 feet at medium 
stage. Gage-height observations and measurements are affected by 
flour mills above the station, which cause rapid fluctuations in the 
gage height at times. 

Discharge measurements were made from the upstream side of the 
single span bridge to which the gage is fastened. The initial point 
for soundings is the face of the right abutment. 

A standard chain gage is fastened to the upstream hand rail of the 
bridge. The length of. the chain from the end of the weight to the 
outer edge of the ring is 20.84 feet. The gage was read once each 
day by F. J. Bates. Bench mark No. 1 is the upstream corner of 
the lowest step of the wing wall of the bridge at the right bank, near- 
est the river. It is marked with red paint. Its elevation is 13.97 
feet above the datum of the gage. 

Estimates at this station above gage height 2.4 feet are considered 
to be within 5 per cent of the true discharge for normal conditions 
of flow. Below 2.4 feet the probable error is from 5 to 20 per cent. 
The flow during the winter of 1905-6 was probabty unaffected by ice 
conditions. 



Discharge measurements of South River at Basic City, Va. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


1895. 
August 5^ 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 
72 

64 
90 
63 


1905. 
December 29 


Feet. 
4.05 

3.25 
2 69 


Second-feet. 
454 


1905. 


2.59 
2.62 
2.52 


1906. 
April 11 


221 


June 29 


June 14 


86 


September 16 







o At rapids, 200 feet above iron bridge. 



STREAM flow: SOUTH EIVEE. 
Daily gage height, in feet, of South River at Basic City, Va. 



93 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 

2.4 
2.3 
2.5 
2.3 
2.2 

2.2 

2.4 
2.4 
2.5 
2.4 

2.5 
2.7 
2.3 
2.2 
2.4 

2.4 
2.2 
2.6 
2.6 
2.4 

2.3 

2.4 
2.5 
2.4 
2.1 

2.4 
2.5 
2.3 
2.4 
2.4 
2.6 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 














2.6 
2.5 
2.7 
2.6 
2.55 

2.6 
3.0 
2.8 
2.7 
3.0 

2.7 

4.25 

4.3 

5.0 

3.5 

3.2 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.8 

2.8 
2.7 
2.4 
2.5 
2.9 

2.8 
2.8 
2,7 
2,8 
2.7 
2.6 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.7 
2.6 

2.65 


2.6 
2.7 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

. 2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.6 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.7 
2.7 

2.9 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.3 
2.3 


2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.6 

2.3 
2.2 
2.3 
2.4 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.6 
3.2 
2.8 
2.7 

»2.7 
2.6 
2.4 
2.5 
2.6 

2.5 
2.6 
2.6 
2.4 
2.4 


2.3 

2.1 
2.2 
2.1 

2.2 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.1 
2.3 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 

2.1 
2.4 
2.2 
2.3 
2.3 

2.1 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.1 

2.3 
2.1 
2.0 
2.2 
2.3 


2.2 


2 ::::;; 












2.3 


3 














2.4 


4 














2.9 


5 














2.9 


6 -- 














2.8 
















2.6 


g 














2.5 


g 














2.5 


10 














2.5 
















2.5 


12 














2.6 


IS 














2 3 


14 














2.4 
















2.3 
















2.3 


17 














■' 5 


18 . 














2.5 


19 














2.5 
















2.5 
















5.5 


02 














4 1 


23 














3.9 


94 














3 7 
















3 4 
















3.2 


27 














3 1 


28 














2 9 


29 












2,5 
2.5 


3.7 














3 3 


31 .... 












3.2 


1906. 
1 


3.0 
2.9 
3.2 
4.4 
3.7 

3.4 
3.2 
3.0 
2.9 
2.8 

2.7 
2.8 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.0 
3.0 
3.1 
3.2 
3.2 

3.1 
3.1 
4.9 
4.4 
3.9 

3.6 
3.6 
3.7 
3.7 
3.6 
3.5 


3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
•3.2 

3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.8 
2 7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.7 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 

2,8 
2.8 
2.8 


2.8 
2.8 
5.3 
4.9 
4.0 

3.8 
3.5 
3.5 
3.3 
3.0 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
3.1 

3.2 
3.3 
3.3 
3.3 
3.2 

3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.2 
3.1 

3.2 
3.5 
3.7 
3.7 
3.5 
3.8 


3.6 
3.6 
3.5 
3.4 
3.2 

3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.1 
3.2 

3.25 
3.2 
3.15 
3.1 

4.5 

4.1 

3.75 

3.55 

3.4 

3.25 

3.25 

3.2 

3.2 

3.1 

3.0 

3.1 

3.05 

3.0 

3.0 

2.9 


2.9 
2.9 
2.8 
2.9 
2.9 

2.8 
3.0 
3.0 
2.8 
2.85 

2.85 

2.7 

2.8 

2.8 

2.7 

2.75 

2.8 

2.65 

2.7 

2.7 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.6 

2.6 

2.65 

2.75 

.3.0 

2.7 

2.75 


2.75 

2.7 

2.6 

2.6 

2.5 

2.4 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

2.4 
2.5 
2.6 
2.7 
2.6 

2.6 
3.2 
2,5 
2.8 
5.45 

4.9 

3.45 

3.2 

3.0 

2.9 

3.2 

2.95 

2.85 

2.8 

2.7 




2 . 












3 












4 






















- 


6 












7 


2.45 
2.56 
2.65 
2.6 

2,3 
2.4 
2,55 
2, ,35 
2.4 












8 












9 
























11 












12 












13 












14 












15 












16 












17 














18 














19 .... 














20 














21 














22 














23 














24 








, 






25 














26 














27 














28 














29 




























31 































94 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Rating tdbUJor South River at Basic City, Va., from June 29, 1905, to J-uly 15, I906.a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge . 


Gage ■ 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 1 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feei. 


Feet. 


SecoTid-feet. 


Feet. 


SecoTidr-feet. 


2.00 


7 


2.90 


135 


3.80 


377 


4.70 


678 


2.10 


12 


3.00 


159 


3.90 


407 


4.80 


714 


2.20 


19 


3.10 


183 


4.00 


438 


4.90 


750 


2.30 


29 


3.20 


208 


4.10 


470 


5.00 


786 


2.40 


41 


3.30 


234 


4.20 


503 


5.10 


823 


2.50 


55 


3.40 


261 


4.30 


.537 


5.20 


860 


2.60 


72 


3.50 


289 


4.40 


572 


5.30 


897 


2.70 


91 


3.60 


318 


4.50 


607 


5.40 


934 


2.80 


112 


3.70 


347 


4.60 


642 


5.50 


972 



oThis table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on six discharge 
measurements made during 1905-6. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 2.5 feet and 4.1 feet 

Estimated monthly discharge of South River at Basic City, Va. 
[Drainage area, 142 square miles.] 



Month. 



1905. 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1906. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-15 



Discharge in second-feet. 



, i 
Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



786 
135 
208 
91 
41 
972 



750 
261 
897 
607 
159 
953 
91 



91 
91 
112 
135 
55 
41 
29 



159 
70.9 
58.2 
42.2 
23.4 

160 



258 
141 
276 
241 
106 
154 
62.5 



Run-off. 



Second-feet t-,„„+i, ,„ 

p-r-'-^es- 



1.12 
.499 
.410 
.297 
.165 

1.13 



1.82 
.993 

1.94 

1.70 
.746 

1.08 
.440 



1.29 
.575 
.457 
.342 
.184 

1.30 



2.10 
1.03 
2.24 
1.90 

.860 
1.20 

.245 



SOUTH RIVEE, AT PORT REPUBLIC, VA. 

This station was established August 6, 1895, and discontinued 
April 1, 1899. It was located at the highway bridge about 300 feet 
above the junction of this river with North River. The banks are 
high and not subject to overflow. Part of the flow of the river is 
diverted and used above the bridge in a power plant. This water 
flows under the bridge in the tailrace, and was always included in the 
measurements. It did not, however, affect the observed gage height. 
The bed of the river is composed of gravel and cobblestones and is 
permanent. The current is swift at all stages and normal to the 
bridge. 

Estimates previously published for South River at Port Republic 
have not been revised. As based on the plotting of the discharge 
measurements, they are probably within 15 per cent of the true flow 
for low stages. This estimate of accuracy is founded on the assump- 
tion that the flow in the power canal is practically constant. For 
high stages the estimates are probably too low and may be in error 
20 to 25 per cent. 



STREAM flow: SOUTH EIVEK. 
Discharge vieasurevients of South River at Port Republic, Va. 



95 



Date. 


&t. 1 Discharge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge 


1895. 
August 6 


Feet. [SecoTid-feet. 

1.62 1 114 
1.34 '. 87 

1.40 ' 113 

1.63 139 

2.30 ! 426 


1897. 
April 19 


Feet. 
1.88 
1.87 
1.40 
1.80 

.3.70 


Second-feet. 
202 






182 




July 24... 


132 


1896. 


November 7 


173 


June 5 ... 


1899. 




Julv 30 






l,5i)2 


1897. 
March 23 '. 











Daily gage height, infect, of South River at Port Republic, Va. 



Day, 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Deo. 


Day. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec 


1895. 
1 




1.34 
1.34 
1.34 
1.32 
1.32 

1.32 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.45 

1.35 

1.35 

1.32 

1.3 

1.3 


1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 


1.2 
1.2 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 


1.3 

1.4 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1 3 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 


1895. 
16 


1.05 
1.05 
1.05 
1.05 
1.05 

1.05 


1.3 

1.3 

1.3 

1.25 

1.25 

1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 

1.25 

1.2 

1.2 

1.2 

1.2 


1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1 2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 


1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.25 

1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 


1.3 


2 




17 


1.3 


3 . . 




18 


1.3 


4 




19 


1.3 


5 




20.- 


1.3 


6 


1.15 

1.12 

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

1.08 

1.06 

1.06 

1.06 


21 


1.3 


7 


22. . . . . 


1.05 
1.05 
1.04 
1.42 

1.4 

1.4 

1.37 

1.34 

1.3 

1.3 


2.1 


8.. . . 


23 


1.8 


9 


24 


1.6 


10 . 


25 


1.6 


11 


26 


1.6 


12 . 


27. 


1.8 


13 


28 


2.1 


14 


29 


2.1 


15 


30 ..^ 

31 


2.1 




2.0 









Day. 



1896, 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5.. 

6 

7 

8 , 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 , 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 



Jan. 



1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.3 
4.9 
3.6 

3.0 
2.7 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 



Feb. 


Mar. 


2.0 


2.0 


2.0 


2.0 


2.3 


2.0 


2.5 


2.0 


2.5 


2.0 


3.15 


1.9 


3.6 


1.9 


3.1 


1.9 


3.1 


1.9 


2.7 


1.9 


2.5 


1.85 


2.3 


1.85 


2.3 


1.85 


2.8 


1.85 


2.7 


2.0 


2.5 


2.0 


2.4 


2.2 


2.3 


2.2 


2.3 


2.8 


2.2 


4.3 


2.2 


3.0 


2.2 


2,6 


2.1 


2.6 


2.1 


2.5 


2.1 


2.5 


2.0 


2.4 


2.0 


2.4 


2.0 


2.4 


2.0 


2.5 




3.3 




3.2 



Apr. 



3.2 
3.0 
2.8 

2.7 
2.5 

2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.15 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 



1.7 
1.7 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
3.0 
2.0 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 



June.^ July. 



1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.0 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
2.5 
2.2 
2.2 
2.5 

2.0 
2.0 

1.8 
1.7 
1.7 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 



1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
4.8 
3.2 

2.7 
2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

2.0 
2.0 
1.7 
1.8 
1.8 

1.7 
1.7 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 



Aug. 



1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.45 

1.45 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
2.0 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.65 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.45 



Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


1.4 


5.0 


1.6 


1.4 


3.3 


1.6 


1.4 


3.0 


1.6 


I 1.4 


2.75 


1.6 


1.4 


2.4 


4.1 


1.4 


2.3 


3.5 


1.4 


2.3 


3.0 


1.4 


2.2 


2.6 


1.4 


2.1 


2.4 


1.4 


2.0 


2.3 


1.4 


2.0 


2.15 


1.4 


1.95 


2.15 


1.35 


1.95 


2.1 


1.35 


1.9 


2.1 


1.35 


1.85 


2.0 


1.35 


1.85 


2.0 


1.35 


1.85 


1.9 


1.35 


1.85 


1-.9 


1.35 


1.85 


1.85 


1.35 


1.8 


1.85 


1.35 


1.75 


1.8 


1.3 


i.r 


1.8 


1.3 


1.65 


1.8 


1.25 


1.65 


1.8 


1.25 


1.65 


1.75 


1.25 


1.65 


1.7 


1.25 




1. 65 


1.25 


1.6 


1.65 


9.7 


1.6 


2.0 


17.0 


1.6 
1.6 


3.1 



Dec. 



2.7 

2.55 

2.4 

2.4 

2.35 

2.1 
2.1 - 
2.0 
1.9 



1.5 
1.'5 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 



96 THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of South River at Port Republic, Va. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1897. 
1 


1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 


1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 

1.95 

5.0 

4.1 

3.2 

3.05 

2.95 

2.9 

3.15 

3.15 

3.15 

3.4 
3.4 
3.2 
3.2 
3.1 

3.1 
3.6 

6.75 

4.1 

3.3 

3.2 
3.1 

2.8 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0- 

1.95 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.65 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 


2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.35 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.25 
2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2.2 

2.3 

2.4 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.7 

2.5 

2.3 

2.35 

2.25 

2.15 

2.05 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.0 

1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 

1.85 

1.85 

1.85 

1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.2 
1 


2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.0 
2,0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.9 

1.85 
1.85 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.75 

2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2.2 

2.15 

2.15 

2.15 

2.1 

2.0 

2.1 

2.05 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.75 

3.0 
2.8 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 

2.25 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.2 

2.5 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 

2.1 


1.75 

9.3 

4.5 

3.3 

3.0 

2.8 
2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
3.2 
4.8 
3.2 

2.85 

2.7 

2.5 

2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.0 

1.95 

2.1 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

1.9 

2.2 
4.1 
5.0 
4.1 
3.5 

3.1 
2.9 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 

2.4 
2.4 
2.3 

2.2 
2.1 

2.0 
2.6 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

1.8 

1.8 

1.8 


1.85 

1.8 

1.75 

1.75 

1.9 

1.75 

1.7 

1.65 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.65 

1.8 

1.7 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.75 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.5 

1.85 

1.75 

1.65 

1.55 

1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 

1.75 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 


1.6 

1.65 

1.65 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 
1.55 
1.55 
1.55 
1.55 

1.55 
1.55 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 ■ 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.7 
1.6 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 
1.55 
1.55 
1.55 
1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1-.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.7 
1.7 

1.7 

1.7 , 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

2.1 


1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.3 

l;25 

1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
4.4 

3.0 
2.4 
2.4 
2.3 

6.4 

6.6 
3.6 
3.0 
3.0 

2.8 

2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 

1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 


1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.65 

1.65 

1.6 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.35 

1.35 


1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 

1.3 

1.45 

1.45 

1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

2.0 

1.9 

1.85 

1.75 

1.35 
1.35 
1.35 
1.35 
1.75 

3.0 
2.9 
2.6 
2.3 

2.15 

2.0 

1.95 

1.9 

1.8 

1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.75 

7.5 

3.8 

3.8 
7.6 
4.5 
4.0 
3.1 

3.0 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 


1.75 

2.8 

2.5 

2.1 

2.0 

2.0 
1.8 
1.75 

1.7 
1.7 

1.7 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 
1.65 
1.65 
1.65 
1.65 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

2.5 

2.35 

2.2 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.05 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

1.85 

1.85 

2.15 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 


1.5 


2 


1.5 


3 


1.5 


4 


1.5 


5 


1.5 


6 -- 


1.5 




1.5 


8 - 


1.5 


9 


1.5 


10. . - 


1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.65 
1.85 

1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85, 

1.8 

1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.75 

1.65 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 
1.55 
1.55 
1.55 
1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 


1.5 


11 


1.5 


12 


1.5 


13 .... 


1.5 


14 


1.5 


1.5 , 


1.45 


16 


2.4 


17 


2.0 


18 


1.9 




1.9 


20 


1.85 


21 


1.8 




1.8 


23 


1.8 


24 


1.8 


25 


1.8 


26 


1.8 




1.8 


28 ... 


1.8 


29 


1.8 


30 


1.8 


31 - 


1.8 


1 


1.9 


9 


1.8 


3 ... 


1.8 


4 


2.5 


5 


4.0 


6 


3.0 


7 


2.9 


8 


2.7 


9 .... 


2.5 


10 


2.4 


11 


2.35 


12 

13 


2.3 
2.3 


14 


2.25 


15 


2.2 


16 


2.15 


17 


2.1 


18 


2.1 




2.1 


20. 


2.0 


21 

22 


2.0 
2.0 


23 


2.6 


24 


2.6 


25 


2.5 


26 


2.45 


27 


2.4 


28 


2.35 


29 


2.3 


30 


2.3 


31 


2.3 







STREAM flow: SOUTH RIVEB. 97 

Daily gage height, in feet, of South River at Port Republic, Va. — Continued. 



Day; 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


1899. 
1 


2.5 
2.5 

2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

3.4 
5.0 
3.8 
3.6 
3.0 

2.9 

2.75 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 


2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.2 
2.2 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.4 
2.5 

2.6 


4.0 
3.6 
3.5 
5.1 
12.0 

6.7 
5.5 
4.0 
3.6 
3.9 

3.7 
3.6 
3.4 
3.3 
3.4 

3.3 


2.5 


1899. 
17 


2.5 
2.4 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 


2.6 
2.6 
2.8 
3.0 

3.5 
5.0 
5.6 
4.1 
3.5 

4.4 
6.5 
5.3 


3.2 
2.9 
3.2 

3.7 

3.5 
3.2 
3.1 
2.9 

2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 




2 


18 

19 




3 




4 


20 

21 




5 








6 


22 

23 

24 




7 




8 




9 


25. . 




10 . . .. 


26 








u 


27. 




12 


28 

29 

30 




13 




14 




15 


31 




16 









Rating table for South River at Port Republic, Va.,from August 5, 1895, to April 1, 1899a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Secondr-feet. 


1.3 


95 


2.2 


350 


3.8 


1,535 


5.2 


2,575 


1.4 


105 


2.4 


495 


4.0 


1,685 


5.4 


2,720 


1.5 


120 


2.6 


645 


4.2 


1,835 


5.6 


2,870 


1.6 


140 


2.8 


795 


4.4 


1,980 


5.8 


3,015 


1.7 


160 


3.0 


945 


4.6 


2,125 


6.0 


3,165 


1.8 


180 


3.2 


1,090 


4.8 


2,275 


6.5 


3,535 


1.9 


210 


3.4 


1,240 


5.0 


2,425 


7.0 


3,905 


2.0 


250 


3.6 


1,390 











iThis rating table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is not well defined. 

Estimated monthly discharge of South River at Port Republic, Va. 
[Drainage area, 246 square miles.] 



Month. 



1895. 

August 6-31 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1896. 

January 

February 

Marcli 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December'. 

The year 



Discha 


rge in second-feet. 


Run-ofl. 








Second-feet 


Depth 
in inches. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


per square 
mile. 


105 


70 


80 


0.33 


0.32 


112 


85 


94 


.38 


.43 


85 


85 


85 


. .35 


.40 


95 


85 


93 


.38 


.43 


290 


95 


136 


.55 


.63 


2,350 


85 


305 


1.24 


1.43 


1,390 


250 


517 


2,10 


2.19 


1,905 


195 


473 


1.11 


1.28 


1,090 


160 


375 


1.52 


1.70 


945 


140 


218 


.89 


i.02 


570 


120 


255 


1.04 


1.16 


2,275 


120 


322 


1.31 


1.51 


250 


105 


123 


.,50 


.58 


9,200 


90 


597 


2.43 


2.71 


2,425 


140 


362 


1.47 


1.69 


1,760 


140 


376 


1.53 


1.71 


720 


112 


208 


.85 


.98 


9,200 


85 


344 


1.33 


17.96 



98 



THE POTOMAC KIVEE BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of South River at Port Republic, Va. — Continued. 



Month. 



1897. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1898. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May - 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1899. 

January 

February 

March 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



195 

3,717 
720 
290 

5,607 
210 
160 
120 
95 
250 
795 
495 



5,607 



250 
250 
350 
945 

2,425 
195 
290 

3,605 
150 

4,345 
570 

1,685 



4,345 



2,425 
3,535 
7,700 



112 
195 
250 
170 
170 
120 
105 
85 
85 
95 
120 
112 



85 



130 
120 
120 
250 
180 
120 
105 
140 
100 
100 
195 
180 



100 



290 
290 
570 



131 
1,072 
459 
211 
797 
152 
125 
103 
91 
119 
192 
166 



301 



175 
162 
177 
408 
661 
153 
142 
690 
121 
835 
282 



349 



638 
. 964 
1,525 



Run-ofl. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



.53 

4.36 

1.87 

.86 

3.24 

.62 

.51 

.42 

.37 

.48 

.78 

.67 



1.23 



.71 

.66 

.72 

1.66 

2.28 

.62 

.58 

2.80 

.49 

3.39 

1.15 

1.97 



1.42 



2.59 
3.92 
6.20 



Depth 
in inches . 



.61 

4.54 

2.16 

.95 

3.74 

.69 

.59 

.48 

.41 

.55 

.87 

.77 



16.36 



.82 

.69 

.83 

1.85 

2.63 

.69 

.67 

3.23 

.55 

3.91 

1.28 

2.27 



19.42 



2.99 
4.08 
7.15 



NORTH RIVER BASIN. 



COOKS CREEK AT MOUNT CRAWTORD, VA. 

Cooks Creek rises near Harrisonburg, in Rockingham County, Va., 
and flows southwestward and southeastward into North River near 
Mount Crawford. 

The gaging station was established July 1, 1905, by N. C. Grover, 
in connection with the investigation of stream pollution in the Shen- 
andoah Valley. It was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located at 
the upper highway bridge across Cooks Creek, three-fourths of a mile 
from Mount Crawford. 

The channel is straight for 200 feet above and 100 feet below the 
station. The current is very sluggish at low water. Both banks are 
low and liable to overflow during high water, but all the M^ater passes 
beneath the bridge. The bed of the stream is composed of mud and 
gravel. The stream is polluted by tanneries. 

Discharge measurements were made from the side of the bridge to 
which the gage is attached, or by wading a short distance below, at a 
point where the velocity is greater. 



STREAM FLOW : COOKS CBEEK. 



99 



A standard chain gage is fastened to the outside of the downstream 
guard rail of the bridge. The length of the chain from the end of the 
weight to the outer edge of the ring is 14.38 feet. The gage was read 
once each day by S. H. Craun. Bench mark No. 1 is a nail driven 
vertically into a root on the downstream side of a large tree 150 feet 
below the gage, on the left bank. Its elevation is 4.24 feet above the 
gage datum. 

Estimates at this station are within 10 per cent of the true flow 
between gage heights 1.9 and 2.7 feet. Above and below these stages 
the estimates are liable to error of 10 to 25 per cent. The flowmay 
have been slightly affected by ice conditions during the winter of 
1905-6. 

Discharge measurements of Cooks Creeh at Mount Crawford, Va. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


1905. 
Julyl. 


Feet. 
2.10 
2.08 


Second-feet. 
22.6 


1906. 
April 10 


Feet. 
2.32 


Secondr-feet. 
32.4 













a Measurement made by wading. 
Daily gage height, in feet, of Cooks Creek at Mount Crawford, Va. 



Day. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Deo. 


Day. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept, 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 


2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
5. 5 

3.3 
2.9 
2.4 
2.2 
2.1 

2.5 
2.1 
2.3 
2.2 
2.8 

2.4 


2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 


1.8 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.7 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 


1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

. 1.7 


1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 

1.7 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 


1.8 
1.8 
2.0 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1,8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.7 


1905. 
17.. . 


2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.4 

2.1 
2.2 
2,4 
2.3 
2.2- 

2.2 
2.2 
2.0 
2.0 
3.1 
2.4 


1.9 
2.0 
1.9 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 
1.9 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 


1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1. 7 

1. 7 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1. H 


1.7 
1.7 
1.8 
1.7 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.8 

2.0 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 


1.7 
1.7 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 

\.l 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1,8 
1.8 


1.7 


2 


18 


1.7 


3 


19 


1 7 


4 


20 


1. 7 




21. 






2.9 





22 


2.0 


7 . 


23 


2. 4 


8 


24 


2.3 


9 


2.''> 


2 1 


10 


26 






2.0 


11 


27 


2.0 


12 


28 


2 


13 


29 


2 3 


14 


30 

31 


2 1 


15 


2. 2 


16 









100 THE POTOMAC KIVEB BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Cooks Creek at Mount Crawford, Va. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feh. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1906. 
1 


2. 05 

2.05 

2.05 

3.0 

2.5 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.3 
2.3 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.1 
2.1 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 


2.0 
2.0 
1.8 
2.0 
2.0 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

1.9 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
1.8 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 


2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.4 
2.2 

2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.05 

2.4 

2.6 

2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.4 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.5 


■2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 

2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.3 
2.3 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.5 

2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 


2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.0 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 


2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.9 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 

1.8 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.5 

2.1 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 

2.1 
3.0 
2.0 
2.2 
2.1 


2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

3.0 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 












9 












3 














4 


1 








5 










6 










7 


.... 1 . 








8 


1 








9 


♦. 1 








10. 












11 












12 












13 












14 












15 












16 












17 














18 














19 














20 














21 














22 














23 














24 






1 






25 1- 






1 






26 














27 














28 














29 














30 














31 































Rating table for Cooks Creek at Mount Crauford, Va.,from July 1, 1905, to July IS, 1906. o 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. ■ 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Secondr-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


1.70 


10 


2.70 


52 


3.70 


126 


4.70 


235 


1.80 


13 


2.80 


58 


3.80 


135 


4.80 


248 


1.90 


16 


2.90 


64 


3.90 


144 


4.90 


261 


2.00 


19 


3.00 


71 


4.00 


154 


5.00 


274 


2.10 


23 


3.10 


78 


4.10 


164 


5.10 


288 


2.20 


27 


3.20 


85 


4.20 


175 


5.20 


302 


2.30 


31 


3.30 


92 


4.30 


186 


5.30 


316 


2.40 


■ 36 


3.40 


100 


4.40 


198 


5.40 


331 


2.50 


41 


3.50 


108 


4.50 


210 


5.50 


346 


2.60 


46 


3.60 


117 


4.60 


222 







a This tahje is strictly applicable only lor open-channel conditions. It is based on two discharge 
measurements made during 1905-6. It is not well defined. Estimates based on this table are only 
roughly appro.ximate. 



STBEAM FLOW: LEWIS CBEEK. 



101 



Estimated monthly discharge of Cooks Creek at Mount Cravford, Va. 
[Drainage area, 41 square miles.] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



Depth in 
inches. 



1905 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1906, 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-15 



346 
27 
16 
19 
13 
04 



43.8 
19.7 
12.7 
11.4 
11.4 
18.7 



27.5 
18.5 
30.6 
28.7 
20.6 
21.0 
23.8 



1.07 
.480 
.310 
.278 
.278 
.456 



.071 
.451 
.746 
.700 
.502 
..512 
.580 



1.23 
.553 
.346 
.320 
.310 
.520 



.774 
.470 
.860 
.781 
.579 
.571 
.324 



LEWIS CREEK NEAR STAUNTON, VA. 



Lewis Creek rises in the central part of Augusta County, Va., about 
4 miles southwest of Staunton, and flows northeastward into Middle 
River. 

The gaging station was established June 30, 1905, by N. C. Grover, 
in connection with the investigation of stream pollution in the Shenan- 
doah Valley. It was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located at the 
private bridge across Lewis Creek, on the property of William Glenn, 
2 miles from Staunton. 

The chanel is straight for 300 feet above and below the station. 
The current is sluggish. Both banks are about 5 feet high and do not 
overflow, except during very high water. The bed of the stream is 
composed of soft mud. There is but one channel at all stages. The 
stream is composed almost wholly of sewage from the city of Staunton, 
and is very shallow at ordinary stages. 

Discharge measurements were made from the downstream side of 
the bridge, the initial point for soundings being the gatepost near the 
left ejid of the bridge. 

A vertical staff gage, graduated to feet and tenths, is fastened to a 
tree 6 feet downstream from the bridge. The gage was read once each 
day by Ashby Glenn. Bench mark No. 1 is a nail in the locust tree to 
which the gage is attached, 1 foot above the ground, on the upstream 
side. Its elevation is 7.56 feet above the zero of the gage. 

Prior to about May 27, 1906, the estimates for this station are 
accurate within 5 to 10 per cent for gage heights 0.45 to 0.9 foot. 
Above and below these stages the error may be as high as 15 per cent. 
Estimates after about May 27, 1906, may be in error 15 to 20 per cent. 
The flow was probably not affected by ice conditions during 1905-6. 



102 THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN, 

Discharge measurements of Lewis Creek near Staunton, Va. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


1905. 
June 30 


Feei. 
0.51 
.63 


Second-feet. 
3.8 
6.2 


1906. 
April 10 


Feet. 
0.83 
.55 


Second-feet. 
12.5 


December 29 


June 14 


6.6 









Daily gage height, in feet, of Lewis Creek near Staunton, Va. 



Day. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 


0.65 
.88 
.7 
.65 
.5 

.5 

.7 

.6 

.55 

.5 

.5 
1.1 

.7 
.5 
.55 

.55 


0.45 
.55 

-.45 
.45 
.0 

.5 

.5 

.45 

.5 

.45 

.35 
.45 
.45 
.45 
.5 

.5 


0.5 
.4 
.45 
.4 
.45 

.45 
.45 
.45 
.45 
.45 

.45 

.45 

.5 

.6 

.6 

.5 


0.4 
.4 
.65 

.4 
.4 

.35 

.4 
.4 
.6 
.5 

1.0 
.8 
.7 
.5 
.4 

.4 


0.4 
.5 
.5 
.5 
.5 

.6 

.65 

.5 

.4 

.4 

.55 
.5 
6 
.6 
.5 

.5 


0.5 
.5 
.6 

.4 
.5 

.5 
.45 
.5 
.5 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.45 

.5 

.6 

.65 


2 


3 


4 


5... 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


11 

12 


13 


14 


15 


16 





Day. 



1905. 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 



July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


0.5 


0.45 


0.5 


0.5 


0.45 


.5 


.6 


.45 


.45 


.75 


..W 


.5 


.45 


.45 


.45 


.4 


.45 


.45 


.6 


.4 


.5 


.45 


.45 


.6 


.45 


1.05 


.45 


.5 


.5 


.55 


.6 • 


.55 


.45 


.6 


.35 


.6 


.45 


.45 


.7 


.35 


.55 


.5 


.45 


.65 


.5 


.5 


.5 


.4 


.6 


.5 


.6 


.5 


.4 


.6 


.5 


.45 


.5 


.4 


.6 


.45 


.5 


.5 


.4 


.4 


.4 


.45 


.4 


.4 


.45 


.4 


.5 


.5 




.5 





Dec. 



0.5 
.5 
.5 
.45 

.4 

.45 

.45 

.5 

.5 

.5 

.45 

.65 

.55 

.5 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1906. 
1.. . 


0.54 
.43 
.54 

1.43 
.94 

.83 
.64 
.53 
.49 
.43 

.59 
.48 
.69 
.53 
.59 

.53 
.44 
.48 
..59 
..53 

.74 
.63 
.74 
.63 
.54 

.48 
.54 
.63 
.54 
.48 
.44 


0.49 
.53 
.60 
.53 
.54 

.53 
.49 
.53 
.44 

.48 

.44 
.53 
.49 
..59 
.54 

.48 
..54 
.53 
.49 
.43 

.49 
..53 
.54 
.43 
..54 

.53 
.49 
.43 


0.74 
.70 
.71 
.53 
.64 

.59 
..54 
.53 
.71 
.53 

.54 
.59 
.74 
.63 
1.04 

.83 

.84 
.S3 
.84 
.78 

.74 
.70 
.64 
.63 
.64 

.59 
.54 

1.13 
.84 
.93 

1.24 


0.74 
.70 
.64 
.49 
.54 

.48 
.44 
.57 
.44 
.83 

.84 
.73 
.79 
.63 
.74 

.63 
.74 
.53 
.49 
.53 

.49 
.53 
.64 
.63 
.54 

.54 
.59 
.49 
.63 
.64 


0.48 
..53 


0.54 
.53 


0.64 
.53 
.54 
.53 
.49 

.53 
.64 
.53 

.54 
.48 

.44 
.48 
..53 
.64 
.43 












2 












3 


■ . 60 1 .54 












4 


.49 
.53 

.54 
.53 
.54 
.43 
.49 

.48 
.49 


.58 
.59 

.48 
.54 
.53 
.49 
.53 

.44 
.53 












5 












6 












7 












8 . . . . 












9 












10 . . 












11 












12 












13 


.43 ..54 












14 


.44 
.48 

.49 
.33 
.34 
.48 
.44 

.43 
.49 
.38 
.34 
.33 

.94 

1.18 

1.64 

1.13 

.64 

.,58 


.53 
.49 

.63 
.49 
.43 
.49 
.53 

.49 
.43 
.44 
.93 
1.94 

1.83 
.94 
.73 
.54 
.53 












15 












16.. . . 












17 














18 - 














19 














20 














21 














22 














23 














24 








1 




25.. 












26 














27 














28 














29 














30 














31 


















1 











STREAM flow: LEWIS GREEK. 



103 



Rating tables for Lewis Creelc near Staunton, Va. 
JULY 1, 1905, TO MAY 27, 1906.O 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


0.30 


1.0 


65 


6.8 


1.00 


.b5 


1.4 


.70 


8.2 


1.05 


.40 


1.9 


.75 


9.7 


1.10 


.45 


2.C 


.80 


11.3 


1.15 


.50 


3.4 


.85 


13.0 


1.20 


.55 


4.4 


.90 


14.9 


1.25 


.60 


5.5 


.95 


16.8 


1.30 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
18.9 
21.0 
23.5 
26.0 
29.0 
32.0 
35.5 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


1.35 


39.0 


1.40 


42.5 


1.45 


46.5 


1.50 


50.5 


1.55 


54.5 


1.60 


59.0 


1.65 


63.5 



MAY 28, 1906, TO JULY 15, 1906.6 



0.25 


1.3 


0.60 


7.9 


0.95 


20.5 


1.50 


55 


.30 


1.8 


.65 


9.4 


1.00 


23.0 


1.60 


63 


.35 


2.5 


.70 


11.0 


1.10 


28.5 


1.70 


71 


.40 


3.3 


.75 


12.7 


1.20 


C4.5 


1.80 


79 


.45 


4.2 


.80 


14.5 


1.30 


41 


1.90 


88 


.50 


5.3 


.85 


16.3 


1.40 


48 


2.00 


97 


.55 


6.5 


.90 


18.3 











a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on three discharge 
measurements made during 1905. It is" fairly well defined between gage heights 0.5 and 0.8 foot. 

b This table is based on one discharge measurement made during 1906 and on the form of the preced- 
ing curve. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Lewis Creek near Staunton, Va. 
[Drainage area, 20 square miles.] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



Depth in 
inches. 



1905. 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1906. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June ■ 

July 1-15 



24 
5.5 
5.5 

19 
9.7 



45 

5.5 
31 
13 
66 
92 

9.1 



1.9 
1.4 
1.9 
1.4 
1.4 
1.9 



2.3 
2.3 
4.0 
2.3 
1.2 
3.8 
3.8 



5.98 
3.15 
2.76 
4.58 
3.46 
3.34 



6.58 
3.61 
9.70 
6.06 
7.41 
12.3 
6.17 



0.299 
.158 
.138 
.229 
.173 
.167 



..329 
.180 
.485 
.303 
.370 
.615 
.308 



0.345 
.182 
.154 
.264 
.193 
.192 



.379 
.187 
.559 
.338 
.427 
.686 
.172 



NORTH RIVER AT PORT REPTJBIIC, VA. 

North River rises in the Shenandoah Mountains in the northwestern 
part of Augusta County, Va., and flows in a general easterly and south- 
easterly direction to Port Republic, Rockingham County, Va., where 
it unites with South River to form South Fork of the Shenandoah. 
Its drainage area is 805 square miles. It is fed by numerous springs 
and is utilized to a considerable extent by mills of various kinds. 

An important tributary is Middle River, which has been considered 
by some authorities as the main stream, North River being regarded 



104 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



as the tributary. Middle River rises on Little North Mountain, in the 
southern part of Augusta County, and flows in a general northeasterly 
direction, uniting with North River 4 miles above Port Republic. Its 
drainage area is 365 square miles. It is fed by numerous springs and 
is utilized to a considerable extent by mills of various kinds. 

The gaging station at Port Republic was established August 6, 1895, 
and was discontinued April 1, 1899. It was located at the highway 
bridge, about 500 feet above the junction of North River with South 
River. Measurements were made from the downstream side of the 
bridge. The banks are high and not subject to overflow. The bed 
is very rough, but permanent. The current is broken and uneven 
at low stages. A dam about 200 feet above the bridge controls the 
flow at low stages. 

Estimates previously published for North River at Port Republic 
have not been revised. They are probably within 15 per cent of 
the true How. Ice conditions probably do not affect the flow at this 
station. 

Discharge measurements of North River at Port Republic, Va. 



Date. 



1895 

August 6 

August 29a 

1896, 

June 5 

July 31 

July 31 f> 

1897 
March 23 



Gage 
height. 



Discharge. 



Feet. 
2.18 
2.09 



2.20 
2.48 
2.46 



3.54 



Second-feet. 
375 
258 



427 
428 
335 



Date. 



1897, 

Aprilig 

June 1 

July 24 

November 7... 

1899. 
March 11 



1,466 



Gage 
height. 



Discharge. 



Feet. 
2.60 
2.60 
2.30 
2.00 



Second-feet. 
712 
552 
431 
245 



3,423 



a Result obtained by deducting the discharge of South River, 87 second-feet, from total discharge of 
South Fork of Shenandoah River, 345 second-feet, measured below the junction. 

!> Result obtained as on August 29, 1895, by deducting 139 second-feet, discharge of South River, from 
474 second-feet, discharge of South Fork. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of North River at Port Republic, Va. 



Day. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Day. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1895. 
1 




2.03 

2.03 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
4.3 
2.2 

2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 


1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

1.&5 

1.85 

1.85 

1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 

1.75 


1.75 
1.75 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 

1.&5 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 

1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
2-0 

2.0 


1.85 

1.9 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

1.85 

1.85 

1.85 

1.9 

1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1 8 


1895. 

17 

18 


2.07 
2.07 
2.07 
2.07 

2.05 
2.05 
2.05 
2.05 
2.4 

2.3 

2.2 

2.15 

2.09 

2.05 

2.03 


1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 


1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 

1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 

1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 


2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 

1.9 

1.85 
1.85 

"i.'ss" 

1.85 


1.8 


2 




1.8 


3 




19. 


1.8 


4 




2(L 


1.8 


5 




21. 






2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.15 

2.15 

2.15 
2.08 
2.08 
2.08 
2.08 

2.07 


1.8 


6 


22 


2.1 


7 


23 


1.9 


8 


24 


1.8 


9 


25 


1.8 


10 


26 

27. 




11 


1.8 
1.9 


12 . 


28 


2.4 


13 


29 


2.45 


14 


30. 


2.4 


15 


31 


2.5 


16 











STREAM flow: NORTH EIVER, 105 

Daily gage height, in feet, of North River at Port Republic, Va. — Continued. 



Jan. 



Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


2.5 


2.6 


5.4 


2.32 


2.42 


2.8 


2.43 


2.0 


7.5 


2.35 


2.5 


2.6 


5.0 


2.52 


2.32 


2.7 


2.43 


1.95 


4.5 


2.35 


2.8 


2.6 


4.6 


2.52 


2.32 


2.7 


2.55 


1.9 


4.0 


2.35 


3.8 


2.6 


4.2 


3.32 


2.22 


2.6 


2.45 


1.9 


3.5 


2.35 


3.8 


2.6 


4.0 


3.32 


2.2 


2.6 


2.4 


1.9 


3.3 


4.7 


5.0 


2.5 


3.6 


3.32 


2.2 


2.8 


2.4 


1.85 


3.2 


6.0 


5.7 


2.5 


3.5 


3.12 


4.5 


2.8 


2.3 


1.85 


3.1 


4.3 


4.5 


2.5 


3.5 


2.92 


3.0 


2.8 


2.3 


1.8 


3.0 


3.6 


4.1 


2.5 


3.4 


2.72 


2.6 


7.5 


2.3 


1.8 


2.9 


3.3 


3.7 


2.5 


3.3 


2.72 


2.5 


5.3 


2.25 


1.75 


2.8 


3.3 


3.5 


2.4 


3.3 


2.72 


2.3 


3.9 


2.2 


1.7 


2.65 


3.2 


3.3 


2.4 


3.2 


2.62 


2.3 


3.6 


2.2 


1.7 


2 55 


3.0 


3.3 


2.4 


3.2 


2.52 


2.2 


3.3 


2.2 


1.7 


2.5 


2.8 


5.2 


2.4 


3.0 


5.82 


2.2 


3.0 


3.6 


1.7 


2.5 


2.8 


4.7 


2.6 


3.0 


3.82 


2.2 


3.3 


2.7 


2.0 


2.5 


2.7 


3.8 


2.6 




3.22 


2.2 


3.0 


2.7 


1.9 


2.5 


2.7 


3.6 


2.8 




3.02 


2.5 


3.1 


3.0 


1.8 


2.5 


2.66 


3.1 


3.2 




2.82 


2.4 


2.7 


2.4 


1.8 


2.45 


2.65 


3.0 


4.8 . 




2.62 


2.4 


2.7 


2.3 


1.8 


2.45 


2.6 


2.7 


7.2 




2.62 


3.3 


2.7 


2.25 


1.7 


2.4 


2.6 


2.7 


5.0 




2.62 


3.0 


2.6 


2.25 


1.7 


2.4 


2.55 


2.7 


4.8 




2.62 


2.9 


2.5 


2.25 


1.7 


2.35 


2.5 


2.7 


4.0 




2.62 


2.5 


2.5 


2.2 


1.7 


2.35 


2.5 


2.7 


3.8 




2.52 


2.4 


2.5 


2.2 


1.65 


2.35 


2.45 


2.7 


3.5 




2.52 


2.4. 


3.0 


2.4 


1.65 


2.35 


2.4 


2.6 


3.5 




2,52 


3.2 


2.7 


2.2 


1.65 


2.35 


2.4 


2.6 


3.5 




2 52 


3.0 


2.7 


2.2 


1.65 




2.35 


2.6 


3.5 


2.-22 


2.42 


3.0 


2.6 


2.15 


1.65 


2.35 


2.35 


2.6 


4.4 


2.22 


2.42 


2.9 


2.6 


2.15 


7.2 


2.35 


3.0 




6.5. 


2.22 


2.42 


2.9 


2.5 


2.1 


18.0 


2.35 


5.5 




5.9 




2.42 




2.45 


2.1 




2.35 




2.35 


3.6 


2.7 


2.4 


2.6 


2.35 


2.15 


2.0 


1.8 


2.2 


2.35 


3.5 


2.7 


11.5 


2.55 


2.45 


2.15 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


2.35 


3.4 


2.6 


7.3 


2.5 


2.45 


2.15 


2.0 


1.8 


2.6 


2.35 


3.4 


2.6 


5.15 


2.5 


2.4 


2.15 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


2.35 


. 3.35 


2.6 


4.3 


3.0 


2.35 


2.15 


1.95 


1.8 


2.0 


2.55 


3.3 


2.9 


3.8 


2.85 


2.25 


2.15 


1.95 


1.8 


2.0 


7.0 


3.3 


2.9 


3.5 


2.6 


2.2 


2.1 


1.9 


1.8 


2.0 


5.5 


3.3 


2.9 


3.3 


2.55 


2.4 


2.1 


1.9 


1.8 


1.95 


4.8 


3.25 


2.9 


3.1 


2.5 


2.3 


2.1 


1.9 


1.8 


■1.9 


4.3 


3.25 


3.0 


3.0 


2.5 


2.2 


2.1 


1.85 


1.8 


1.9 


4.0 


3.25 


3.0 


3.0 


2.45 


2.15 


2.05 


1.85 


1.8 


1.9 


3.9 


3.25 


3.0 


3.0 


2.4 


2.5 


2.05 


1.85 


1.8 


1.85 


5.45 


3.2 


2.9 


4.9 


2.4 


2.4 


2.05 


1.85 


2.0 


1.85 


4.7 


3.3 


2.9 


7.5 


2.4 


2.4 


2.05 


1.85 


2.0 


1.8 


5.0 


3.5 


2.9 


5.2 


2.4 


2.3 


2.0 


1.85 


2.0 


1.8 


5.3 


3.5 


2.9 


4.4 


2.4 


2.2 


2.0 


1.85 


1.95 


1.9 


5.2 


3.7 


2.9 


4.0 


2.4 


2.2 


2.0 


1.85 


1.95 


1.9 


4.6 


3.7 


2.8 


3.6 


2.4 


2.15 


2.0 


1.85 


1.95 


1.9 


4.5 


3.7 


2.65 


3.45 


2.4 


3.5 


2.0 


1.8 


1.95 


1.9 


4.3 


3.7 


2.6 


3.25 


2.5 


3.5 


2.0 


1.8 


1.95 


1.9 


4.2 


3.9 


2.55 


3.15 


2.45 


2.5 




1.8 


2.0 


1.85 


4.8 


3.6 


2.5 


3.1 


2.4 


2.4 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.85 


9.85 


3.35 


2.5 


3.0 


2.4 


2.35 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.85 


6.7 


3.4 


2.5 


2.95 


2.4 


2.35 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.85 


5.4 


3.3 


2.5 


2.9 


2.4 


2.3 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.85 


4.5 


3.2 


2.5 


2.85 


2.4 


2.25 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.85 


4.4 


3.1 


2.45 


2.8 


2.35 


2.2 


2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.85 


3.8 


3.0 


2.45 


2.75 


2.35 


2.15 


2.0 


1.8 


2.1 


1.85 




2.9 


2.45 


2.7 


2.35 


2.15 


2.0 


1.8 


2.05 


1.85 




2.8 


2.4 


2.65 


2.35 


2.15 


2.0 


1.8 


1.95 


1.85 




2.7 




2.6 




2.15 


2.0 




1.95 





Dec. 



3.0 

2.7 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 

2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.1 

6.15 

5.3 

4.0 
3.3 
3.0 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 



2.35 
2.35 
2.35 
2.35 
2.35 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.25 

2.25 
2.25 
2.26 
2.25 
2.25 

2.25 
2.25 
2.25 
2.25 
2.25 

2.25 
2.25 
2.25 
2.25 
2.25 
2.35 



4.4 
3.5 
3.3 
3.3 
3.25 

3.1 

3.05 

2.9 

2.8 

2.7 

2.65 

2.6 

2.55 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.45 

2.45 

2.45 

2.45 

2.45 
2.45 
2.45 
2.45 
2.4 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.35 



1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
2.0 

2.0 

1.95 

1.95 

1.9 

1.85 

1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
2.65 

2.45 

2.25 

2.1 

2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2.25 
2.25 
2.25 
2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2.2 

2.15 



106 THE POTOMAC KIVBR BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of North River at Port Republic, Va. — Continued. 



Day. 



1898. 
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Hi 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 



Jan. 



2.15 

2.15 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.05 

2.05 

2.0 

2.6 

2.55 

2.5 

2.45 

2.45 

2.45 

2 45 
2.45 
2.45 
2.55 
2.55 

2.55 

2.55 

2.7 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 



Feb. 



2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.65 

2.65 

2.6 

2.5 

2.4 

2.3 

2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.15 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 



Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


2.1 


3.85 


2.65 


2.1 


3.5 


2.6 


2.1 


3.3 


2.5 


2.1 


3.15 


2.45 


2.1 


3.0 


2.4 


2.1 


2.9 


3.0 


2.1 


2.9 


6.4 


2.1 


2.8 


7.25 


2.1 


2.6 


6.3 


2.1 


2.75 


5.0 



2.1 


2.75 


2.1 


2.75 


2.1 


2.75 


2.1 


2.75 


2.1 


4.15 


2.1 


5.2 


2.25 


4.5 


2.8 


4.0 


2.95 


3.5 


2.85 


3.2 


2.75 


3.0 


2.75 


2.9 


2.75 


2.75 


2.75 


2.75 


2.85 


2.75 


2.9 


2.75 


3.0 


2.75 


3.0 


2.7 


3.0 


2.65 


3.3 


2.65 


4.2 





4.0 
3.6 
3.3 
3.2 
3.0 

2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.^ 
2.6 

2.6 

3.35 

3.3 

3.2 

3.0 

2.9 

2.75 

2.65 

2.65 

2.5 

2.4 



June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


2.35 


2.2 


4.25 


2.6 


2.4 


3.0 


2.3 


2.2 


4.25 


2.5 


2.4 


2.8 


2.15 


2.2 


4.0 


2.5 


2.4 


2.65 


2.15 


2.2 


4.5 


2.5 


2.4 


2.6 


2.15 


2.2 


8.0 


2.5 


3.0 


2.6 


2.1 


2.2 


5.0 


2.5- 


2.9 


2.6 


2.1 


2.2 


5.0 


2.5 


2.8 


2.5 


2.1 


2.2 


4.6 


2.5 


2.6 


2.5 


2.1 


2.2 


4.0 


2.5 


2.4 


2.45 


2.0 


2.15 


9.0 


2.5 


2.25 


■ 2.4 


2.0 


2.1 


9.0 


2.5 


2.1 


2.4 


2.6 


2.1 


7.0 


2.5 


2.1 


2.4 


2.5 


2.0 


6.0 


2.5 


2.1 


2.35 


2.35 


2.0 


6.0 


2.5 


2.0 


2.35 


2.2 


2.1 


6.0 


2.5 


2.0 


2.3 


4.2 


2.1 


4.5 • 


2.5 


2.0 


2.3 


3.4 


2.25 


4.2 


2.5 


2.0 


2.25 


3.0 


2.5 


4.0 


2.5 


2.0 


2.2 


3.0 


2.4 • 


4.0 


2.5 


9.5 


2.15 


3.0 


2.3 


3.6 


2.5 


5.0 


2.6 


3.0 


2.3 


3.3 


2.5 


5.0 


2.6 


2.9 


2.3 


3.2 


2.5 


10.0 


2.6 


2.8 


2.3 


3.1 


2.75 


6.5 


2.6 


2.65 


3.0 


3.1 


2.75 


5.0 


2.6 


2.5 


2.8 


3.0 


2.65 


3.8 


2.6 


2.5 


2.7 


2.9 


2.65 


3.05 


2.6 


2.5 


3.5 


2.8 


2.6 


3.5 


2.55 


2.4 


4.75 


2.7 


2.6 


3.3 


2.5 


2.4 


5.0 


2.7 


2.5 


3.15 


2.5 


2.4 


5.0 


2.6 


2.4 


3.15 


2.5 




4.5 


2.6 




3.15 





Dec. 



2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
3.0 
7.0 

5.0 
3.6 
3.3 
3.0 
2.9 

2.8 
2.7 
2.65 
2.6 
2. 55 

2.5 
2.5 

2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
4.0 
4.3 
3.6 

3.3 
3.0 

2.8 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 




Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


1899. 
1 .. 


2.75 

2.75 

2.7 

2.65 

2.65 

5.4 
6.7 
5.0 
40 
3.6 

-3.4 
3.2 
3.0 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 


2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.4 
2.4 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.7 
2.8 
3.0 


7.1 
5.5 
5.0 
7.4 
14.0 

8.9 
7.5 
5.8 
48 
5.3 

4 8 
46 
4 
3.8 
45 
4 2 


3.0 
[ i 


1899. 
17 


2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 
2.6 

2.5 
2.5 
2.4 


3.0 
3.0 
3.4 
40 
5.5 

7.0 
7.6 
6.0 
4 9 
49 

6.0 
9.0 


40 
3.7 
40 
43 
3.9 

3.6 
3.4 
3.2 
3.1 
3.1 

3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 
3.0 




2 


18 




3 


19 




4 


20 




5. . - - . ■ 


21 




6 


22 

23 








8 . . . 


24 




9 


25 




10 


26. 




11 


27 




12 


28 




13 


29 




14 


30 




15 


31 




16 











Rating table for North River at Port Republic, Va.,from August 5, 1895, to April 1. 1899a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


■ Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height; 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


1.6 


165 


3.2 


1,050 


4 8 


3,410 


8.5 


9,145 


1.8 


215 


3.4 


1,290 


5.0 


3,720 


9.0 


9,920 


2.0 


275 


3.6 


1,550 


5.5 


4,495 


9.5 


10,695 


2.2 


350 


3.8 


1,860 


6.0 


5,270 


10.0 


11,470 


2.4 


445 


4 


2,170 


6.5 


6,045 


10.5 


12, 245 


2.6 


555 


4 2 


2,480 


7.0 


6,820 


U.O 


13,020 


2.8 


700 


4 4 


. 2,790 


7.5 


7,595 






3.0 


865 


4 6 


3,100 


8.0 


8,370 







a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is not well defined. 



STREAM flow: NORTH RIVER. 



107 



Estimated monthly discharge of North River at Port Bepuhlic, Va. 
[Drainage area, 804 square miles.] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



Depth in 
inches. 



1895. 

August 6-31 , 

September 

October 

November a 

December 

1896. 

January 

February 

March 

April 1-15, 28-30 

May 

June - 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1897. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1898. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1899. 

January.. , 

February 

March 



445 
2,635 
245 
275 
500 



5,502 
4,805 
7,130 
4,340 
4,960 
2,945 
7,595 
1,550 
23, 870 
7,595 
5,270 
2,790 



420 

11,240 

2,015 

865 

13,790 

865 

1,420 

330 

275 

310 

555 

590 



13, 790 



700 

625 
2,480 
4,030 
7,207 
2,480 
3,720 
9,920 

662 
11,470 

865 
6,820 



11,470 



6,355 
9,920 
17, 670 



292 
■?45 
202 
202 
215 



319 
346 
219 
239 
251 



275 
500 
445 
350 
395 
350 
472 
310 
177 
420 
420 
420 



799 
1,488 
1,653 
1,594 

824 

642 
1,085 

458 
1,224 

931 
1,088 

699 



372 
420 
625 
445 
445 
420 
330 
275 
215 
215 
215 
230 



3,138 
1,250 
642 
2,212 
489 
463 
292 
234 
250 
256 
319 



275 


491 


310 


.414 


310 


581 


555 


1,110 


445 


1,430 


2'/5 


585 


275 


822 


555 


3,030 


445 


520 


275 


1,814 


330 


507 


395 


1,089 



275 



1,032 



445 
395 
865 



1,126 
2,132 
3,452 



0.40 
.44 
.27 
.30 
.31 



.99 
1.85 
2.05 
1.98 
1.02 

.80 
1.35 

.57 
1.52 
1.16 
1.35 

.87 



3.90 
1.55 
.80 
2.75 
.61 
.58 
.36 
.29 
.31 
.32 
.39 



1.03 



1.28 



1.40 
2.65 
4.29 



0.39 
.49 
.31 
.33 
.36 



1.14 
1.93 
2.37 
1.33 
1.18 

.89 
1.56 

.66 
1.70 
1.34 
1.51 
1.00 



.55 
4.06 
1.79 
.89 
3.17 
.68 
.67 
.41 
.32 
.35 
.36 
.45 



13.70 



.61 


.70 


.51 


.53 


.72 


.80 


1.38 


1.54 


1.78 


2.05 


.73 


.81 


1.02 


1.18 


3.77 


4.35 


.65 


.72 


2.26 


2.61 


.63 


.70 


1.35 


1.56 



1.61 
2.76 
4.95 



a Discharge intei-polated November 24^-28, 1895. 



IKR 192—07- 



108 



THE POTOMAC BIVEE BASIN. 



MISCELLANEOUS DISCHARGE MEASTTREMENTS IN NORTH RIVER BASIN. 

The following miscellaneous measurements have been made in the 
basin of North River: 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements in North River basin. 



Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. • 


Width. 


Area of 
section. 


Mean 
velocity. 


Dis- 
charge. 


1897. 
March 22 

April 19. 


Middle River 

.. do 


. 

At mouth near Mount Me- 
ridian, Va. 
do 


Feet. 

114 


Square 
feet. 
396 

228 
151 


Feet per 

second. 

1.58 

1.00 
.61 


Second- 
feet. 
625 

229 


November 7 . . . 


do.. 


do 


90 


92 


March 22 


North River 

do 


Above junction with Mid- 
dle River near Mount 
Meridian, Va. 
..do 


841 


November 7 . . . 








153 

















SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN BELOW PORT REPUB- 

, Lie, VA. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

South Fork of Shenandoah River is formed at Port Republic, Rock- 
ingham County, Va., by the union of North and South rivers, and 
flows northeastward to Riverton, Va., where it unites with North 
Fork to form the main Shenandoah. Its length by river course is 
about 96 miles. 

South Fork of the Shenandoah is to a certain extent navigable for 
small boats, and works have at various times been executed for 
improving it. The basin is traversed by the Norfolk and Western Rail- 
way, and nearly every part of it is accessible. Theoretically a large 
amount of power is available, but very little is utilized. The bed and 
banks are favorable for the construction of dams, but space for canals 
and buildings is in places small. 

The river is subject to frequent and rapidly rising fi-eshets. The 
stream flows alternately in pools of comparatively slack water and 
over ledges and shoals, forming rapids and falls, the pools being shorter 
and the ledges more numerous in the upper reaches than in the lower. 

In August, 1899, a reconnaissance survey of South Fork of Shen- 
andoah River between Port Republic and Riverton, Va., was made 
by F. H. Anschutz, under the direction of D. C. Humphreys, for the 
purpose of obtaining a profile of the river and a map showing the loca- 
tion of the mills, the unused falls, and the localities where water power 
might possibly be developed. 

The results of the work are shown by the profile (PL III, p. 134). 
The distances along the profile and map are measured along the cen- 
ter line of the stream, the initial point being the forks of the river 
at Port Republic. 



STREAM flow: SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 109 

The developed and undeveloped power of the river at the time of 
the survey was briefly stated, as follows: 

At Port Republic a combined sawmill and gristmill utilizes a fall of 10 feet in South 
River, which is obtained by a dam about a quarter of a mile above the mouth. 

On North River, in the first 1,500 feet above the forks, there is a fall of 6 feet which 
was once used for power and which could easily be developed again. 

At Shendun, 4 miles above Port Republic, on South River, an excellent power was 
partially developed during what is known as "boom times " in 1890. The fall is said to 
be about 20 feet. 

Two miles downstream from the forks there is a gristmill utilizing about 6 feet fall, 
obtained by a brush dam and a long race. 

At 6 miles there is a fall of 4.5 feet, but the banks are low. 

At 7| miles there is a small gristmill with a 3-foot timber dam. 

Between the 7^-mile point and the next rdill, at 11 miles, there is a total fall of 25 feet, 
but the river banks are much broken and generally are low. 

At 11 miles there is a small gristmill using about 6 feet fall. 

At 12 J miles there is a gristmill using SJ feet fall. 

At 17 miles, opposite Elkton, there is a combined gristmill and sawmill, with a 4-foot 
dam, using 6 feet fall. 

In the neighborhood of Shenandoah the fall is rapid, but the banks are low. 

At 31| miles there is an old mill and a timber dam 4 feet high, the first course of tim- 
bers of which is missing. 

At 32 J miles. Grove Hill, there is a gristmill and a good dam of timber and loose rocks, 
4 feet high. 

At 37J miles, Kemple Falls, there is a fall of 15 feet in three-fourths of a mile. The 
bank on the left side is fairly good, but on the right side of the main group of channels 
the river spreads out over and runs through a large area of bowlders, and the bank for 
a considerable distance back is Ijut little above the surface of the stream. 

At 38 miles, Newport, there is a combined sawmill and gristmill that uses about 6 
feet fall. The dam is about 4 feet high, loosely made of timber and stonework. 

At 41 miles is Manks' mill, a gristmill with a dam SJ feet high, rudely constructed of 
brush and loose stone. The fall below the mill is good and about 7 feet are utilized. 

At 50 miles there is an old mill site, nothing being left except the foundation of the 
dam. 

At 55 miles, Schuler, there is a gristmill, with a dam 3^ feet high. 

At 66i miles is Goode's mill, the dam for which is 3 feet high, of timber and plank- 
ing backed by loose rock. The mill uses a fall of about 6 feet. 

At 79J miles is Hazard's mill, on the left bank of the stream, at a point where the 
river splits and runs around a large island. The dam is in the left branch and is sub- 
stantially constructed of timber; it is 4J feet high. 

At 97^ miles is Blackmore's dam. It was a stoutly biiilt dam of timber and dry 
masonry, but it is broken .at each end and part of the upper course is missing at the 
middle. The mill is no longer standing. 

At 101 miles, Riverton, are the Riverton mills. The dam is 6 feet high, a of timber 
and is well constructed. 

a See description of station on North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va., pp. 125-126. 



no 



THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN. 



ELK RTTN AT ELKTON, VA. 

Elk Run rises in the Blue Ridge in the eastern part of Rockingham 
County, Va., and flows northwestward into South Fork of Shenan- 
doah River near Elkton. 

The gaging station was established June 28, 1905, by N. C. Grover, 
in connection ^\^tll the investigation of stream pollution in the Shen- 
andoah Vallej''. It was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located at 
the highway bridge 500 feet south of the railroad station at Elkton, Va. 

The channel is straight for 100 feet above and 200 feet below the 
station. The current is sluggish at the gage. Both banks are low 
and overflow during high water. All the water passes beneath the 
bridge, except during extreme floods. The bed of the stream is com- 
posed of gravel and is permanent. The stream is highly polluted by 
waste from tanneries along its banks. 

Discharge measurements were made at ordinary stages at a foot- 
bridge 1,000 feet downstream from the bridge to which the gage is 
fastened. During high water discharge measurements were made 
from the highway bridge. 

A standard chain gage is fastened to a floor beam on the down- 
stream side of the bridge, near the right end. The length of the chain 
fr®m the end of the weight to the marker is 8.74 feet. The gage 
was read once each day hj C. L. Gooden. Bench mark No. 2 is the 
underside of the coping at the southwest corner of the first railway- 
bridge pier on the right bank of the creek, marked with red paint 
"U. S. G. S. B. M." Its elevation is 11.96 feet above the datum of 
the gage. 

Unsatisfactory conditions of flow prevail at this station. The dis- 
charge measurements plot very erratically, owing probably to changes 
at the controlling point below the station. It was necessary to obtain 
the discharge by an indirect method based on the assumption of a 
gradual change in channel conditions between successive measure- 
ments. The estimates can probably be considered accurate within 
only 20 per cent of the true flow. Ice conditions probably affect the 
flow somewhat. 



Discharge 


measurements of Elk Run at Elkton, Va. 






Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


1905. 
May '>'> 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 
4.9 
4.0 

17.4 
3.4 

11.0 


1906. 
April 11 


Feet. 
2.78 
2.57 


Second-feet. 
15.7 


Do 




June 14 


6.5 


June 28 


2.80 
2.10 
2.78 






July 20 






1 




1 



^ 



STREAM flow: ELK EUN. 
Daily gage height, infect, of Elk Run at Elkton, Va. 



Ill 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 














2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.55 

2.55 
3.5 
3..1 
2.9 

2.7 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.55 

2.5 

2.55 

2.7 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.0 
2.6 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.6 
2.5 

3.5 

2.8 

2.78 

2.7 

2.72 

2.7 

2.72 
2.7 
2.7 
2.75 


2.6 

2.55 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.65 

2.6 

2.5 

2.7 
2.7 
3.2 
3.9 
3.0 

2.8 

2.7 

2.6 

2.65 

2.6 

2.6 

2.65 

2.6 

3.1 

3.2 

3.0 
3.0 

2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 


2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.6 

2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.45 

2.4 

2.45 

2.45 

2.45 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.9 

2.6 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 


2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.45 

2.45 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.6 
2.6 

3.2 
2.9 
2.7 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 

2.7 

2.65 

2.65 

2.65 

2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.8 

2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 


2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 

2.7 
2.7 
2.8 
2.7 

2.7 

2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.8 
2.7 

2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.7 
2.75 

2.7 

2.65 

2.65 

2.65 

2.65 

2.65 
2.65 
2.65 
2.65 
2.65 


2.7 


2 














2 7 


3 














2 7 


4 














2 7 


5.. 














7 


6 














9 7 


7.. . 














2 7 


8 














9 65 


9 














2 65 


10 














2 7 


11 . 














9 7 


12 














9 65 


13 














2 65 


14 














2 65 


15 














2 6 


16 














2 6 


17 














2 6 


18... 














2 6 


19 •... . 














2 7 


20. 














3 3 


21 














3 5 


22. 














2 8 


23 














2 7 


24 














2 7 


25... 














2 8 


26 














2 7 


27 














2 8 


28 












2.75 

2.8 

2.65 


2 8 


29 












3 


30 












2 95 


31 












2 9 


1906.a 
1 


2.85 

2.8 

2.75 

3.25 

3.1 

3.0 

2.91 

2.8 

2.96 

2.91 

2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
3.0 

2.9 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.75 

2.75 

2.8 

3.0 

3.1 

3.0 

2.95 

3.0 

3.15 

2.95 

3.0 

2.9 


2.9 

2.95 

2.9 

2.9 

2.9 

2.85 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.« 

2.8 

2.78 

2.77 

2.75 

2.7 

2.77 

2.7 

2.7 

2.8 

2.72 

2.7 

2.78 

2.77 

2.8 

2.75 

2.78 
2.75 
2.75 


2.7 

2.7 

3.35 

3.3 

2.9 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.81 

2.7 

2.8 

2.75 

2.85 

2.95 

3.0 

3.1 

3.0 

2.95 

2.9 

2.85 

2.9 

2.9 

2.85 

2.8 

2.7 

2.9 

2.85 

2.9 

3.0 

2.9 

3.1 


3.1 

3.8 

3.0 

2.95 

2.85 

2.9 

2.85 

2.8 

2.95 

2.8 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.85 

4.5 

3.5 

3.2 

3.0 

2.95 

2.85 

2.9 

2.9 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.95 

3.0 

2.95 

2.95 

2.85 


2.9 

2.88 

2.75 

2.8 

2.8 

2.9 

2.95 

2.9 

2.8 

2.87 

2.85 

2.7 

2.75 

2.7 

2.55 

2.64 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.55 

2.62 

2.6 

2.5 

2.6 

2.62 

2.5 

2.72 

2.7 

2.65 

2.7 


2.67 

2.5 

2.6 

2.65 

2.51 

2.6 

2.59 

2.5 

2.6 

2.58 

2.53 

2.6 

2.58 

2.47 

2.58 

2.6 

2.6 

2.65 

2.7 

3.65 

2.9 

3.2 

2.9 

2.87 

2.82 

2.72 

2.63 

2.6 

2.6 

2.55 




2 












3 












4 
























6 












7 










8 








: 


9 












10 












11 












12 












13 










14 












15 












16 












17 










1 


18 














19 














20 














21 














22 














23 














24 




.. 










25 














26 














27 














28 














29 














30 














31 































o Slight ice conditions during the winter season. 



112 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN". 



Estimated monthly discharge of Elk Run at Elkton, Va. 
[Drainage area, 15.8 square miles.] 



Month. 



1905. 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1906. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-15 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



29 
18 
42 
132 
20 
54 
44 



Minimum. 



7.0 
7.0 
5.5 
6.0 
8.5 
7.5 



10 

11 

11 

15 
6.5 
5.5 



Mean. 



11.9 
14.1 
6.73 
9.39 
i.40 
11.8 



15.8 
13.5 
19.3 
27.0 
11.5 
9.9 
10.7 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



0.753 
.892 
.426 
..594 
.595 
.747 



.00 

.854 

.22 

.71 

.728 

.627 

.677 



Depth in 
inches. 



0.868 
1.03 
.475 
.685 
.664 
.861 



1.15 
.889 
1.41 
1.91 
.839 
.700 
.378 



HAWKSBILL CREEK NEAR LTJRAY, VA. 

Hawksbill Creek rises in the Blue Ridge in the southeastern part 
of Page County, Va., and flows northward into South Fork of Shenan- 
doah River about 4 miles north of Luray. 

The gaging station was established June 27, 1905, by N. C. Grover, 
in connection with the investigation of stream pollution in the Shenan- 
doah River valley. It was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located 
a short distance above the mouth of Dry Run, IJ miles north of 
Luray. 

The channel is straight for 500 feet above and 200 feet below the 
station. The current is moderate above and swift below the station. 
Rapids below the gage prevent backwater influence from Dry Run, 
except in case of extreme floods. From , well-defined marks the 
highest stage known was found to be 19.55 feet above the zero of the 
gage. This stage occurred October 13, 1893. The right bank is high, 
rocky, and wooded, and does not overflow. The left bank is low and 
subject to overflow during high water. The bed of the stream is com- 
posed of gravel, is free from vegetation, and is permanent. There is 
but one channel at all stages. The approximate depth of the water 
at the bridge is 2 to 3 feet. 

Discharge measurenaents were made from the footbridge in front 
of the observer's house. The initial point for soundings is the edge 
of rock at the right end of the bridge. 

A staff gage in two sections, the lower one inclined and the upper 
vertical, graduated to feet and tenths, is fastened to the left bank 100 
feet above the footbridge. The gage was read once each day by 
J. S. Miller. Bench mark No. 2 is the top of the stone under the 
vertical post on the upstream side of door frame in the old dairy 
building, 200 feet from the left end of the footbridge. Its elevation 
is 15.10 feet above the zero of the gage. 



STBEAM FLOW : HAWKSBILL CREEK. 



113 



Estimates at this station are within 5 per cent of the true flow for 
normal conditions between gage heights 1.4 and 2.0 feet. Above and 
below these stages the probable error is 10 per cent. The flow was 
probably unaffected by ice conditions during the winter of 1905-6. 

Discharge measurements of HawhsMll Creeh near Luray, Va. 



Date. 



1905. 

May21 

June 27 

December 2S 



GagG 
height. 



Feet. 
1.44 
1.74 
1.81 



Discharge. 



Secondr-feet. 
3.5 
64 
72 



Date. 



April 12.. 
June 15 a. 



1906. 



height. 



Feet. 
1.86 
1.50 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 

75 
36 



a Measurement made by wading below footbridge. 
Daily gage height, infect, of Hawksbill Creeh near Luray, Va. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 














1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.45 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.45 

1.45 

1.45 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.6 
1.5 


1.45 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.35 

1.35 
1.35 
1.45 
1.45 
1.45 

1.45 
1.45 
1.45 
1.75 
1.5 

1.65 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1-.4 

1.4 


1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

1.3 

1.3 

1.35 

1.5 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 


1.35 

1.35 

1.4 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 
1.35 
1.35 
1.35 
1.35 

1.45 

1.45 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.35 
1.35 
1.35 
1.35 
1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.4 

1.5 

1.6 

1.5 

1.45 

1.45 

1.45 

1.4 


1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.45 

1.45 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.35 

1.4 

1.45 

1.4 


1.4 


2 














1.4 


3 














1.65 


4 














1.6 


5 














1.5 


6 








j 




■ 1.45 


7 . 














1.45 


8 














1.45 


9 














1.45 


10 . 














1.45 


11 














1.45 


12 














1.45 


13 














1.45 


14 














1.45 


15 














1.45 


16 














1.45 


17 














1.4 


18 














1.4 


19 














1.5 


20 














1.5 


21 














2.9 


22 














2.75 


23 














2.65 


24 














2.5 


25 















2.35 


26 














2.2 


27 












1.75 
1.7 
1.65 
1.6 


2.0 


28 . 












1.85 


29 












1.75 


30 












2.4 


31 












2.25 



114 . THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Hawksbill Creek near Luray, Va. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


. 1906. 
1 


2.0 
1.9 
3.3 
2.7 
2.45 

2.25 

2.2 

2.1 

2.0 

2.05 

2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.75 

1.75 

1.75 

1.7 

1.65 

1.75 

1.75 

1.8 

1.8 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 


1.9 

1.9 

1.9 

1.85 

1.85 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.7 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.65 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.5 

1.55 

1.55 
1.55 
1.55 


1.55 

1.55 

1.8 

2.0 

1.95 

1.85 

1.85 

1.85 

1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

1.75 

1.8 

1.75 

1.75 

1.85 

1.9 

1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.9 

2.15 

2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.4 


2.3 

2.2 

2.1 

2.05 

2.0 

1.95 

1.95 

1.9 

1.9 

1.95 

1.9 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
03.35 

3.05 
2.55 
2.35 
2.25 
2.2 

2.1 

2.0 

1.85 

1.85 

1.85 

2.1 

2.05 

2.0 

1.9 

1.9 


1.9 

1.85 

1.85 

1.85 

1.8 

1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 


1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
2.0 

1.8 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

2.65 

1.95 

2.5 

1.8 

1.6 

1.6 

2.45 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.65 


1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.8 

1.6 

1.55 

1.55 

1.55 












2 












3 













4 












5 












6 












7 












8 ^ 












9 . ... 












10 












11 












12 












13 












14.. 












15 












16 












17.. 














18.. . 




1 








19 




1 








20 












21.. . 












22 




1 








23 














24.. 














25 














26 














27..... 














28 














29 














30 














31 































" Gage height estimated Apr. 15, 1906. 
Rating table for Hawksbill Creek near Luray, Va.,from June £7, 1905, to July 15, 1906. 0' 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


teet. 
1.30 
1.40 
1.50 
1.60 
1.70 
1.80 


Second-feet. 
24 
30 
37 
46 
57 
69 


Feet. 
1.90 
2.00 
2.10 
2.20 
2.30 
2.40 


Second-feet. 
83 
98 
115 
133 
152 
173 


Feet. 
2.50 
2.60 
2.70 
2.80 
2.90 


Second-feet. 
196 
220 
245 
271 
298 


Feet. 
3.00 
3.10 
3.20 
3.30 
3.40 


Second-feet. 
326 
355 
384 
414 
445 



a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on five discharge 
measurements made during 1G05-6. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 1.4 feet and 2.0 feet. 



STREAM flow: SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 



115 



EstiTnated monthly discharge of Hawkshill Creek near Luray, Va. 
[Drainage area, 52 square miles.] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



Depth in 
inches. 



1905. 

June 27 to 30 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1906. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1 to 15 



63 
46 
63 
37 
46 
34 
298 



414 
83 

173 

430 
83 

232 
69 



54.5 
36.1 
32.6 
27.5 
30.0 
30.0 
81.7 



100 
53.9 
8.5.2 

123 
53.6 
68.8 
42.7 



1.05 
.694 
.627 
.529 
.577 
.577 

1.57 



1.92 
1.04 
1.64 
2.37 
1.03 
1.32 
.821 



0.156 
.800 
.723 
.590 
.665 
.644 

1.81 



2.21 
1.08 
1.89 
2.64 
1.19 
1.47 
.458 



SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER NEAR FRONT ROYAL, VA. 

South Fork of Shenandoah River is formed at Port Republic, 
Rockingham County, Va., by the union of North and South rivers, 
and flows northeastward to Riverton, Va., where it unites with North 
Fork to form the main Shenandoah. Its length by river course is 
about 96 miles. 

The gaging station at Front Royal was established June 26, 1899, 
by A. P. Davis, and was discontinued July 17, 1906. It is located 
about 1 mile above the bridge, which is near the Norfolk and Western 
Railway station. 

The channel is straight for 600 feet above and below the station, 
and the current is sluggish. The railroad follows the right bank of 
the stream, and the railroad embankment, a few feet back from the 
river, is overflowed at extreme flood stages only. The bed of the 
stream is composed of bed rock and is very uneven; in places the 
rock is overlain by silt, and this is liable to shift. 

Discharge measurements were made from a cable, which has a span 
of 300 feet and is suspended over the branches of two large sycamore 
trees, with its right end fastened to the tree and its left anchored in 
the ground. The initial point for soundings is on the main cable 0.5 
foot from the tree on the left bank. 

The gage is a vertical timber spiked to a large sycamore tree on the 
left bank, about 800 feet upstream from the cable. A high-water 
gage, reading from 14 to 26 feet, was established September 18, 1905. 
It is a vertical board spiked to the shore side of a large sycamore tree, 
325 feet upstream from the regular gage. The gage was read twice 
each day by Miss Brentie Johnson. The bench mark is a headless 
spike on the river side of an elm tree on the left bank, 8 feet down- 
stream from the gage. It is 1.5 feet above the ground and has an 
elevation of 10.49 feet above the zero of the gage. 



116 



THE POTOMAC ER^EE BASIX. 



Estimates for this station are within 5 per cent of the true dis- 
charge for normal conditions of flow for gage heights below 9.0 feet. 
Above gage height 9.0 feet the probable error of the extension of the 
curve ma}" be as much as 15 to 20 per cent. Estimates for the winter 
months are affected by ice conditions. All estimates published prior 
to 1905 have been revised. 

A sum mar}' of the records furnishes the following results: Maxi- 
mum discharge for twenty-four hours, 76,800 second-feet; minimum 
discharge for twenty-four hours, 305 second-feet; mean annual dis- 
charge for five years, 2,238 second-feet; mean annual rainfall for 
seven years, 37.45 inches. 

Discharge measurements of South Forh of Shenandoah Riier near Front Royal. Va. 



Date. 



Gage 
height. 



Discharge. 



September 1 . 



1899. 



February 14. 

June 19." 

September 8. 



190(1. 



1901. 



Julv21. 



August 15- 



1902. 



August 19. 



1903. 



Feet. Second-feet 
4. 40 ! 616 



5.75 
7.90 
4.00 



6.95 
420 
4.90 



1.955 

5,703 

536 



4,211 

527 

1,065 



Date. 



1904. 

June 11 

June 30 

September 2 ( . . 
October 19 



1905. 

April 4 

May 16 

September 18. . . 

October 27 

Decem.ber 26 



1906. 



June 16. 



Gage, 
height. 



Discharge. 



Feet. Second-feet. 

4 79 1,140 

4 55 : 906 

3. 50 390 

3. 42 331 



4 78 
5.28 
3.95 
.3.84 
5.94 



4 70 



1,203 

1,663 

527 

459 

2,387 



1,066 



Da\ly gage height, in feet 


of South Fork of Shenandoah River near 


Front 


Royal, Va. 


Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. May. [ June. July. Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1899. 
1 












4 3 4. 4 
4. 3 4. 35 


4 4 
4 35 
4 3 
4 2 
4 5 

4 3 
4 2 
415 
425 
4 75 

4 65 
4 55 
4 45 
44 
4 3 

4 3 
4 3 
4 2 
4 2 
4 55 

5.8 
5.3 

4 85 
4 6 
5.0 

4 6 
4 55 
4 6 
4 5 
4 5 


4 45 
4 4 
4 3 
43 
4 3 

4 3 
4 3 
4 35 
4 4 
4 4 

4 4 
44 
4 3 
4 3 
4 3 

42 
42 
42 
4 2 
4 2 

41 
415 
4 2 
4 2 
4 2 

4 2 
4 2 
42 
4 2 
4 2 
4 2 


5.5 

ao5 

6.7 

5.85 

5.8 

5.65 
5.35 
5.2 
5.05 
4 85 

4 8 
4 7 
4 7 
4 6 
4 6 

4 55 
4 5 
4 5 
4 5 
4 5 

4 5 

4 4 
4.4 
4 5 
4 5 

4 55 
4 5 
4 4 
4 4 
4 4 


44 


9 












44 


3 












4 2 
4.2 


42 
4 25 
425 

4 2 
4 3 


43 


4 












43 


5 








; 




41 

42 
4.2 


42 


6 














42 




....... 










4.2 


8 














4. 25 4. 65 
4 55 4. 3 
4 7 4 5 


42 


9 








, 




4 3 


10 








1 




4 3 


11 














4 3 
4 2 
- 415 
4 2 
415 

4 25 
415 


4 45 
4 3 
4 2 
4 2 
4 2 

4 3 
4 35 


4 3 


12 














4 45 


13 














6.95 


14 















6.25 


15 














5.75 


10 ■ 












5.45 


17 1 












5.25 


18 . . 






i 




4 15 4 25 
4 15 ; 4. 3 
41 4 25 


5.15 


19 












5.0 


20 














4.95 


21 














41 
41 
4.15 


42 
41 

4.1 


485 


22 . 














4.75 


23 














4 7 


24 














4. 1 4. 
4. 1 3. 9 

4 05 4. 


4 9 


25 














49 


26 












4 4 


5.1 


27 












4.3 ' 41 4 


5.1 


28 












4 25 
4 35 
43 


4 2 4 3 
4 3 5. 15 
4 8 ! 5. 05 
4 25 1 4 6 


5.0 


29 












5.0 


30 












5.15 


31 ., 












5.65 



STREAM flow: SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 



117 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Fork of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va- 

Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1900. 
1 


5.55 
5.55 
5.6 
5.55 
5.5 

5.35 

5.1 

5.05 

4.95 

5.05 

4.85 

4.95 

5.0 

5.6 

5.65 

5.0 
4.8 
4.8 
5.0 

7.2 

10.7 
8.35 
7.15 
6.5 
6.15 

5.8 

5.6 

5.55 

5.55 

5.5 

5.2 

4.5 
4.5 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 

4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.2 
4.25 

4.4 

5.3 

7.35 

7.15 

6.75 

6.3 

5.75 

5.45 

5.3 

5.3 

5.3 

5.3 

5.15 

5.0 

4.95 

4.85 

4.9 

4.8 

4.8 

4.7 

4.7 


4.95 

4.8 

5.0 

5.6 

5.2 

5.65 
5.4 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 

5.0 
4.95 
5.1 
.6.35 
7.2 

6.5 

6.2 

5.95 

5.7 

5.55 

5.45 

6.25 

8.9 

8.65 

7.35 

6.85 
6.55 
6.2 

4.65 

4.6 

4.6 

4.9 

5.1 

4.9 
4.9 
4.5 
4.5 
4.9 

4.9 
4.8 
4.7 
4.5 
4.5 

4.5 

4.9 

4.85 

4.75 

4.6 

4.5 
4.3 
4.3 
4.4 

4.4 

■ 4.35 
4.3 
4.3 


6.4 
W.65 
8.8 
7.55 
6.9 

6.6 

6.a5 

6.2 

6.1 

6.0 

5.9 
5.8 
5.7 
5.6 
5.6 

5.5 

5.5 

5.5 

5.65 

6.55 

9.55 

8.35 

7.5 

6.6 

6.55 

6.45 

6.3 

6.25 

6.15 

6.0 

5.95 

4.3 

4.25 

4.3 

4.3 

4.3 

4.3 

4.2 

4.25 

4.3 

4.35 

7.05 
10.25 
7.7 
6.7 
6.25 

5.85 

5.65 

5.5 

5.4 

5.25 

5.2 
5.7 
5.35 
5.4 

5.4 

5.5 

5.65 

5.75 

5.95 

5.85 

5.5 


5.9 

5.75 

5.7 

5.6 

5.5 

5.4 
5.4 
5.3 
5.2 
5.2 

5.2 
5.1 
5.1 
5.1 
5.1 

5.1 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 

5.4 

5.75 

5.9 

6.55 

6.7 

6.25 

6.3 

5.75 

5.55 

5.4 

5.4 

5.45 

5.6 

5.85 

9.8 

8.3 

8.2 

7.7 

7.25 

6.7 

6.45 

6.15 
5.85 
5.6 
5.65 
16.3 

11.0 
8.65 
7.95 
7.55 
7.25 

18.5 
15.8 
11.35 
8.9 
7.8 

7.35 

7.2 

6.95 

6.65 

6.35 


5.3 

5.25 

5.15 

5.1 

5.0 

5.0 
5.0 
4.9 
4.8 
4.8 

4.8 
4.7 
4.7 
4.7 
4.7 

4.7 
4.6 
4.5 
4.7 
5.3 

5.75 
5.55 
5.35 
5.25 
5.2 

5.35 

5.05 

4.9 

4.85 

4.8 

5.45 

6.25 

6.1 

5.95 

5.8 

5.75 

5.6 

5.55 

5.5 

5.9 

7.4 

7.25 

7.0 

6.5 

6.2 

6.45 

6.45 
5.95 
5.8 
5.65 
5.6 

5.5 
8.25 
17.5 
10.5 
9.4 

11.5 
10.9 
9.5 
8.9 
8.5 
6.1 


4.95 

4.85 

4.8 

4.8 

4.8 

4.8 
4.7 
4.7 
4.7 
4.6 

4.6 
4.5 
4.4 
4.7 
5.7 

6.25 
7.25 
7.95 
7.65 
6.85 

6.2 

5.8 

5.3 

5.35 

5.2 

5.1 

5.1 

5.2 

5.05 

4.9 

7.7 

7.3 

6.9 

6.75 

6.55 

6.45 

6.7 

7.5 

7.15 

6.85 

6.6 

6.15 

5.95 

5.85 

5.7 

7.15 

9.9 

8.7 

7.3 

6.85 

10.3 
8.65 
7.6 
6.75 
6.45 

6.25 

6.15 

6.1 

6.0 

7.35 


4.8 
4.7 
4.6 
4.6 
4.6 

4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
4.4 
4.4 

4.4 
4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.-i 

4.9 

4.85 

4.65 

4.85 

4.95 

5.0 

4.9 

4.8.5 

4.8 

4.7 

7.2 

7.05 

6.8 

6.4 

6.05 

6.2 

6.3 

6.2 

6.05 

5.95 

5.7 
5.45 
5.3 
11.5 
9.6 

9.3 

8.1 
7.5 
7.35 
7.0 

6.75 
6.55 
6.35 
6.25 
6.0 

5.8 

5.4 

6.85 

6.7 

6.6 

6.35 


4.6 

4.55 

4.45 

4.4 

4.4 

4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.1 

4.1 
4.1 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

4.1 

4.2 

4.25 

4.3 

4.3 

4.3 

4.25 

4.2 

4.2 

4.1 

4.1 

6.05 

5.95 

5.9 

6.05 

5.45 

6.65 
8.2 

7.8 
7.0 
6.45 

6.8 

6.65 

6.55 

6.45 

6.25 

6.15 
5.95 
5.9 

5.75 
6.55 

7.5 
8.05 

7.75 
7.45 
4.95 

5.5 

6.4 

6.45 

6.25 

5.95 

5.8 


4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
4.3 

4.65 
4.95 
4.65 
4.15 
4.15 

4.15 

4.15 

4.1 

4.2 

4.3 

4.35 

4.15 

4.05 

4.0 

4.2 

6.75 

6.6 

6.35 

6.1 

5.85 

5.65 

5.45 

5.9 

5.75 

5.55 

5.35 

5.2 

5.05 

4.9 

5.4 

5.25 
5.05 
4.95 
4.8 
4.75 

4.7 

4.9 

4.75 

4.7 

4.65 

4.6 

4.5 

5.15 

6.9 

8.7 


4.3 

4.25 

4.25 

4.25 

4.4 

4.3 
4.4 

4.4 
4.3 

4.4 

4.45 

4.45 

4.4 

4.25 

4.25 

4.3 
4.3 
4.4 
4.4 
4.3 

4.25 
5.05 
6.25 
6.95 
6.75 

5.6 

6.35 

5.05 

4.65 

4.55 

4.5 

9.55 

9.35 

8.6 

7.45 

6.65 

5.8 

5.65 

5.45 

5.25 

5.05 

4.95 

4.8 

5.3 

5.05 

4.95 

4.9 

4.8 
4.75 
4.7 
4.9 

4.85 

4.8 

4.7 

4.7 

4.6 

4.6 
4.8 
4.7 
4.6 
4.6 
4.55 


4.5 
4.5 
4.4 

4.45 
4.55 

4.6 

4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
4.4 

4.45 

4.45 

4.4 

4.4 

4.4 

4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.3 

4.4 

4.85 

4.95 

5.65 

6.65 

8.45 

7.3 

6.35 

5.85 

4.5 
4.5 
4.9 
4.8 
4.75 

4.65 

4.6 

4.5 

4.5 

4.5 

4.5 

4.5 

4.45 

4.4 

4.4 

4.4 
4.5 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 

4.4 

4.4 

4.55 

5.7 

6.15 

6.0 

5.55 

5.3 

4.95 

4.75 


5.3 


2 


5.35 


3 


5.15 


4 

5 . ... 


5.55 
5.8 


6. .- 


7.6 


7 


6.75 


8 


6.1 


9 


5.95 


10 

11 


5. 85 
5.6 


12 


5.45 


13 

14 


5.15 
5.1 


15 


5.0 


16 

17 


4.9 
4.85 


18 


4.8 


19 


4.75 


20 


4.7 


21 


4.6 


22 


4.6 


23 .-. . 


4.6 


24 


4.6 


25 . 


4.6 


26 


4.6 


27 


4.5 


28 


4.5 


29 


4.5 


30 


4.5 


31 


4.5 


1901. 

1 

2 

3 

4 - 

5 

6 . 


5.7 

5.55 

5.4 

5.35 

5.25 

5.15 


7 

8 


5.) 
5.2 


9 


5.35 


10 


5.4 


11 


5.5 


12 

13 . . 


5.55 
5.6 


14 


5.7 


15 


11.5 


16 


14. 95 


17 


10.1 


18 


8.05 


19 


7.6 


20 


7.25 


21 


6.45 


22 


5.85 


23 


5.65 


24 


5.45 


25 


5.4 


26 .... 


5.35 


27 


5.55 


28 


6 55 


29 :. 


10.0 


30 


18 


31 


13.5 



118 



THE POTOMAC KIVEB BASIN. 



Daily gage height, infect, of South Fork of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va.- 

Continued. 



Day. 



Jan. 


Feb. 


9.5 


6.1 


9,15 


5.25 


8.3 


6.7 


7.7 


6.05 


8.4 


6.6 


8.15 


5.9 


8.0 


5.7 


7.75 


6.9 


7.55 


5.9 


7.3 


5.7 


6.55 


5.9 


6.0 


6.1 


5.9 


6.1 


5.8 


5.75 


5.75 


5.45 


5.65 


5.5 


5.55 


5.4 


5.5 


5.35 


5.5 


5.3 


5.45 


5.25 


5.35 


5.2 


6.3 


7.45 


5.75 


6.2 


5.3 


7.35 


5.3 


11.0 


5.25 


15.0 


6.4 


20.0 


7.3 


14.5 


8.55 




6.7 




5.45 




5.25' 


7.05 


6.1 


6.6 


9.3 


6.4 


11.25 


8.2 


8.75 


7.65 


7.7 


7.15 


7.15 


6.95 


6.7 


6.65 


6.5 


6.45 


6.1 


6.25 


5.8 


6.05 


5.75 


6.1 


5.7 


6.3 


5.75 


6.15 


.5.75 


6.1 


5.4 


6.7 


5.4 


7.6 


5.4 


8.75 


5.3 


7.7 


5.3 


7.1 


5.75 


6.65 


6.95 


6.25 


7.25 


6.15 


6.6 


6.6 


6.25 


6.8 


5.85 


6.65 


5.95 


6.7 


7.3 


7.3 


9.75 




8.6 




7.6 





Mar. 



Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


6.55 


5.4 


4.9 


4.6 


4.> 


4.0 


5.0 


4.25 


6.45 


5.35 


4.8 


4.55 


4.4 


4.0 


4.3 


4.25 


6.25 


5.3 


4.75 


4.5 


4.6 


3.95 


6.0 


4.4 


6.15 


6.5 


4.7 


4.45 


4.6 


3.9 


5.1 


4.3 


5.95 


6.35 


4.6 


4.4 


4.6 


3.9 


5.0 


4.3 


7.4 ■ 


6.15 


4.55 


4.5 


4.5 


3.8 


4.3 


4.3 


7.25 


5.85 


4.5 


4.45 


4.5 


3.8 


4.3 


4.2 


7.7 


5.65 


4.9 


4.4 


4.4 


4.0 


4.25 


4.2 


9.1 


5.5 


4.9 


4.4 


4.3 


4.2 


4.2 


4.2 


10.5 


5.35 


4.85 


4.3 


4.4 


4.1 


4.1 


4.2 


10.5 


5.5 


4.8 


4.3 


4.35 


4.1 


4.1 


4.25 


9.6 


5.45 


4.8 


4.2 


4.3 


4.65 


4.9 


4.35 


6.9 


5.4 


4.7 


4.6 


4.3 


4.0 


5.5 


4.35 


6.75 


5.4 


4.6 


4.6 


4.2 


4.0 


5.65 


4.25 


6.6 


5.3 


4.8 


4.5 


4.2 


4.0 


5.35 


4.1 


6.45 


5.3 


4.8 


4.5 


4.15 


4.0 


5.0 


4.1 


6.25 


5.3 


4.7 


4.45 


4.25 


4.1 


4.65 


4.6 


6.15 


5.4 


4.65 


4.4 


4.3 


4.1 


4.45 


4.5 


6.0 


5.4 


4.6 


4.35 


4.35 


3.9 


4.4 


4.5 


6.2 


5.4 


4.55 


4.5 


4.35 


3.85 


4.4 


4.45 


lo.l5 


5.3 


4.45 


4.5 


4.3 


3.8 


4.35 


4.4 


6.0 


5.25 


4.8 


4.4 


4.2 


3.8 


4.3 


4.35 


5.8 


5.2 


4.75 


4.4 


4.1 


4.0 


4.3 


'4.3 


5.7 


5.1 


4.7 


4.3 


4.2 


4.1 


4.3 


4.35 


5.55 


5.2 


4.6 


4.25 


4.15 


4.15 


4.35 


4.4 


5.5 


5.1 


4.5 


4.2 


4.1 


4.2 


4.35 


4.5 


5.6 


5.1 


4.5 


5.5 


4.1 


4.2 


4.4 


5.75 


5.55 


5.0 


4.4 


5.35 


4.0 


4.2 


4.5 


6.25 


5.45 


4.9 


4.7 


5.05 


4.0 


6.0 


4.35 


5.7 


5.4 


4.8 


4.7 


4.75 


4.0 


5.55 


4.3 


5.2 




4.75 




4,55 


4.0 




4.3 




9.15 


5.8 


7.4 


8.55 


4.9 


7.6 


4.6 


4.4 


8.1 


5.7 


6.5 


7.0 


4.9 


6.45 


4.6 


4.45 


7.6 


5.7 


5.95 


6.75 


4.9 


5.65 


4.5 


4.5 


7.35 


5.6 


5.75 


6.55 


5.35 


5.35 


4.5 


4.55 


7.25 


5.45 


5.4 


6.15 


5.5 


5.2 


4.5 


4.55 


6.95 


5.5 


6.0 


5.75 


5.6 


5.15 


4.5 


4.5 


6.8 


5.4 


7.95 


6.25 


5.15 


5.05 


4.4 


4.45 


6.7 


5.4 


11.0 


5.95 


4.85 


4.85 


5.5 


4.4 


6.65 


5.35 


10.15 


5.75 


4.75 


4.75 


5.5 


4.4 


6.55 


5.3 


7.9 


5.55 


4.7 


4.8 


6.0 


4.45 


6.45 


5.3 


7.85 


5.35 


4.85 


4.75 


4.5 


4.5 


6.35 


5.25 


7.7 


5.25 


5.3 


4.7 


4.7 


4.4 


6.25 


5.2 


.7.7 


5.5 


5.1 


4.7 


4.6 


4.4 


8.4 


5.15 


6.7 


8.15 


4.8 


4.7 


4.55 


4.4 


10.55 


5.1 


6.65 


7.6 


4.75 


4.6 


4.5 


4.4 


9.35 


5.05 


6.6 


5.9 


4.7 


4.5 


4.4 


4.4 


8.4 


5.1 


6.5 


5.6 


4.75 


4.4 


4.4 


4.4 


7.9 


5.1 


6.45 


5.35 


4.8 


7.8 


4.5 


4.5 


7.45 


5.0 


6.4 


5.25 


4.7 


7.5 


4.6 


4.5 


7.1 


5.0 


6.4 


5.05 


4.7 


6.7 


4.65 


4.4 


6.9 


5.0 


6.4 


5.0 


4.6 


6.55 


4.55 


4.3 


6.8 


4.95 


6.35 


5.9 


4.6 


5.55 


4.5 


4.3 


6.65 


4.9 


6.3 


5.6 


4.5 


5.4 


4.5 


4.3 


6.45 


4.9 


6.25 


5.75 


4.5 


5.3 


4.5 


4.4 


6.25 


5.0 


5.95 


5.7 


4.5 


5.2 


4.5 


4.4 


6.2 


5.0 


5.75 


5.6 


4.5 


5.1 


4.45 


4.5 


6.15 


5.1 


6.35 


5.45 


4.4 


4.95 


4.5 


4.5 


6.05 


5.15 


7.4 


5.25 


4.5 


4.85 


4.5 


4.7 


6.0 


5.2 


8.55 


4.95 


4.9 


4.75 


4.45 


4.65 


5.9 


5.5 


8.45 


4.75 


5.3 


4.6 


4.4 


4.7 




5.95. 




4.8 


5.75 




4.4 





1902. 



1903. 



23.5 
13.0 
9.9 
9.5 
8.9 

8.4 
7.95 
7.5 
9.1 
10.5 

13.25 
11.85 
10.1 
8.5 
8.1 



8.45 
8.2 
7.8 
7.35 

6.75 
6.45 
7.9 
7.9 

7.8 

7.7 

7.6 

7.45 

6.55 

6.7 

6.65 



12.25 
9.4 
7.9 

7.45 
.7.1 

6.75 
6.55 
6.65 
6.85 
6.75 

6.7 

6.6 

6.5 

6.45 

6.25 

6.15 

6.0 

5.9 

5.86 

5.75 

5.7 

5.85 

7.4 

11.6 

9.65 

8.15 
7.65 
6.95 
6.85 
7.0 
10.65 



STREAM flow: SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 



119 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Fork of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va. — 

Continued. 



Day. 



1904.O 



1905. c 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


i.95 
T.75 


4.2 


4.85 


5.2 


6.4 


4.95 


4.5 


4.1 


3.6 


3.4 


3.42 


4.1 


4.85 


5.05 


5.85 


5.05 


4.4 


4.05 


3.6 


3.4 


3.4 


4.75 


4.15 


5.05 


4.85 


5.45 


5.3 


4.3 


4.1 


3.6 


3.4 


3.4 


5.05 


4.25 


4.95 


4.7 


5.15 


6.2 


4.2 


4.3 


3,6 


3.4 


3.4 


5.05 


4.25 


5.05 


4.65 


5.1 


6.45 


4.1 


4.4 


3.6 


3.4 


3.42 


4.8 


4.0 


5.0 


4.6 


5.0 


6 5 


4.1 


4.5 


3.65 


3.4 


3.4 


4.7 


4.05 


5.05 


4.6 


5.0 


6.0 


4.05 


4.7 


3.7 


3.4 


3.42 


4.6 


4.85 


7.3 


4.6 


5.0 


5.4 


4.0 


4.45 


■ 3.7 


3.4 


3.45 


4.55 


4.65 


7.4 


4.7 


5.15 


5.05 


4.2 


4.4 


3.7 


3.4 


3.5 


4.45 


4.85 


6.7 


5.25 


5.7 


4.95 


5.5 


4.75 


3.7 


3.4 


3,42 


4.4 


4.85 


6.0 


5.75 


5.85 


4.75 


7.95 


4.6 


3.7 


3.4 


3,4 


4.5 


4.7 


5.75 


5.7 


5.65 


4.7 


7.. 45 


4.5 


3.7 


3.45 


3,4 


4.55 


4.6 


5.55 


5.35 


5.35 


4.65 


5.4 


4.4 


3.7 


3.55 


3,4 


4.55 


4.5 


5.2 


5.15 


5.25 


4.55 


4.75 


4.2 


3.65 


3.45 


3.55 


4.4 


4.4 


5.1 


4.95 


4.9 


4.5 


4.55 


4.15 


4.15 


3.4 


3.5 


4.25 


4.4 


5.0 


4.85 


4.9 


4.4 


4.4 


4.1 


3.95 


3.4 


3.52 


4.25 


4.35 


4.9 


4.8 


4.9 


4,6 


4.35 


4.0 


3.7 


3.4 


3.5 


4.3 


4.4 


4.9 


4.65 


5.3 


4.65 


4.3 


4.0 


3.6 


3.4 


3,45 


4.4 


4.6 


4.9 


4.55 


5.7 


4.4 


4.35 


3.9 


3.6 


3.4 


3,45 


4.35 


4.75 


4.7 


4.5 


7.6 


4.55 


4.25 


3.8 


3.6 


3.45 


3,4 


4.35 


4.85 


4.7 


4.5 


6.75 


5.0 


4.1 


3.8 


3.5 


3.55 


3,42 


4.9 


5.4 


4.7 


4.4 


5.9 


5.15 


4.1 


3.75 


3.5 


3.5 


3.4 


6.75 


6.9 


4.95 


4.4 


5.45 


5.05 


4.0 


3.65 


3.5 


3.45 


3.42 


8.15 


7.9 


4.95 


4.3 


5.25 


4.75 


4.3 


3.6 


3.5 


3.4 


3.42 


6 5.75 


f>7.7 


4.95 


4.4 


5.1 


4.4 


4.4 


3.6 


3.5 


3.4 


3.42 


5.05 


7.15 


5.05 


4.45 


5.0 


4.3 


4.3 


3.55 


3.5 


3.4 " 


3.4 


4.8 


6.35 


5.1 


5.5 


4.95 


4.35 


4.2 


3.5 


3.4 


3.42 


3.4 


4.65 


5.75 


5.1 


6.25 


4.9 


4.4 


4.35 


3.5 


3.4 


3.4 


3.4 


4.45 


5.2 


5.0 


6.8 


4.9 


4.7 


4.15 


3.5 


3.4 


3.4 


3.4 


4.35 




5.25 


6.65 


4.8 


4.5 


4.2 


3.55 


3.4 


3.4 


3.4 


4.25 




5.3 




4.8 


'. . 


4.2 


3.6 




3.4 




3.7 


4.15 




5.4 


4.3 


4.35 


4.85 


4.85 


4.3 


3.7 


3.82 


3.85 


4.05 




5.4 


4.2 


4.25 


4.7 


4.7 


4.38 


3.7 


3,7 


3.95 


4.0 




5.28 


4.2 


4.15 


4.55 


4.6 


4.85 


3.7 


3,8 


4.0 


4.15 




5.2 


4.0 


4.3 


4.5 


4.5 


4.65 


3.6 


3,78 


4.0 


4.35 


6.15 


4.75 


4.2 


4.25 


6.25 


4.4 


4.5 


3.6 


3,75 


4.0 


4.25 


5.85 


5.15 


4.15 


4.2 


5.7 


4.4 


4.4 


3.6 


3,8 


4.6 


4.2 


5.4 


5.3 


4.2 


4.1 


5.35 


4.35 


4.35 


3. .55 


3.75 


5.15 


4.3 


5.05 


5.15 


4.1 


4.1 


5.05 


4.25 


4.3 


3.6 


3.7 


5.2 


4.3 


5.5 


5.1 


4.05 


4.0 


4.95 


4,2 


4.15 


3.6 


3.72 


4.6 


4.5 


6.65 


5.1 


4(0 


4.0 


4.8 


4.1 


4.0 


3.6 


3.72 


4.45 


4.45 


8.25 


5.0 


4.05 


4.0 


4.65 


4.1 


3.9 


3.6 


3.7 


4.85 


4.4 


7.4 


4.8 


4.15 


4.0 


5.15 


4.0 


3.88 


3.65 


3.8 


4.85 


4.35 


6.9 


4.9 


4.0 


4.0 


6.2 


4.25 


3.8 


3.6 


3.72 


5.1 


4.4 


6. .52 


4.8 


5.45 


3.9 


7.45 


4.4 


3.9 


3.7 


3.7 


5.55 


4.45 


6.15 


4.8 


5.2 


3.9 


6.8 


5.25 


4.0 


3.72 


3.6 


5.2 


4.35 


6.0 


4.7 


5.28 


3.8 


7.6 


6.2 


3.95 


3.8 


3.65 


5.05 


4.35 


5.85 


4.7 


5.55 


3.8 


6.45 


6.28 


3.9 


3.7 


3.58 


4.9 


4.4 


5.8 


4.6 


5.55 


3.8 


5.7 


5.65 


3.9 


3.7 


3.65 


4.9 


4.3 


5.8 


4.5 


5.2 


3.8 


5.25 


5.1 


3.9 


3.75 


3.7 


4.45 


4.3 


5.75 


4.4 


4.45 


4.2 


5.0 


4.78 


3.9 


3.75 


3.7 


4.32 


4.4 


5.95 


4.35 


4.65 


5.25 


4.85 


4.45 


3.9 


3.72 


3.75 


4.22 


4.4 


7.0 


4.3 


4.45 


4.95 


4.6 


4.3 


3.8 


3.72 


3.68 


4.28 


4.75 


7.6 


4.3 


4.4 


5.05 


5.8 


4.25 


3.82 


3.6 


3.68 


4.1 


4.95 


6.9 


4.3 


4.35 


6.2 


6.9 


4.2 


3.82 


3.5 


3.62 


3.95 


5.7 


6.75 


4.42 


4.3 


9.35 


6.55 


4.15 


3.75 


3.6 


3.6 


4.15 


6.45 


5.55 


4.4 


4.25 


7.3 


6.35 


4.1 


3.7 


3.65 


3.65 


4.15 


8.0 


6.35 


4.5 


4.2 


6.1 


6.2 


4.1 


3.7 


3.78 


3.7 


4.1 




6.25 


4.45 


4.3 


5.65 


6.05 


4.3 


3.78 


3.82 


3.7 


4.3 




5.95 


4.3 


4.15 


5.25 


5.5 


4.4 


3.8 


3.8 


3.65 


4.25 




5.65 


4.3 


4.55 


4.9 


5.15 


4.35 


3.68 


3.8 


3.62 


4.05 




5.55 




4.55 




5.0 


4.3 




3.82 





1 1ce conditions during January (ice about 8 inches thick) and December (ice about 3 inches thick) , 
1904. 
>> Gage heights January 25 to February 25, 1904, approximate. Gage not in correct position. 
c Ice conditions during January and February, 1905 



120 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Daily gage height, in feet, of South Fork of Shenandoah Riva- near Front Royal, Va.- 

Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1906. 
1 


5.65 
5.45 
5.25 
6.13 
8.47 

7.22 

6.4 

6.0 

5.65 

5.38 

5.17 

5.0 

5.0 

5.0 

5.05 

5.3 
5.3 
5.3 
5.2 
5.12 

5.0 

4.9 

4.93 

6.8 

6.85 

6.22 

5.75 

5.63 

6.6 

5.55 

5.55 


5.43 
5.3 
5.2 
5.1 

4.85 

4.82 

4.9 

4.73 

4.65 

4.5 

4.52 

4.45 

4.4 

4.4 

4.43 

4.32 

4.4 

4.33 

4.3 

4.3 

4.3 

4.25 
4.22 
4.28 
4.25 

4.25 
4.12 
4.25 


4.2 

4.17 

4.23 

5.05 

7.02 

6.33 

5.8 

5.47 

5.15 

5.15 

5.05 

4.9 

4.83 

4.7 

4.8 

5.25 

5.95 

5.77 

5.8 

5.75 

5.8 
6.1 
5.9 
5.8 
5.6 

5.58 

5.77 

6.75 

7.35 

7.1 

6.9 


7.05 
6.8 

6.45 
6.25 
5.85 

5.68 

5.52 

5.4 

5.32 

5.3 

5.4 

5.35 

5.28 

5.2 

6.35 

7.75 

6.8 

6.38 

6.08 

5.8 

5.55 
5.45 
5.35 
5.25 
5.05 

5.1 

5.35 

5.45 

5.4 

5.3 


5.22 

5.1 

5.0 

4.95 

4.9 

4.85 

4.88 

5.0' 

5.1 

5.05 

5.0 
4.9 

4.8 

4.78 

4.6 

4.62 
4.52 
4.55 
4.45 
4.4 

4.35 
4.3 

4.28 

4.2 

4.2 

4.2 

4.22 

4.3 

4.65 

4.4 

4.72 


4.7 

4.62 

4.5 

4.42 

4.38 

4.3 • 

4.22 

4.2 

4.18 

4.1 

4.1 

4.15 

4.22 

4.2 

4.4 

4.65 
5.45 
5.75 
5.35 
5.35 

6.2 

6.9 

6.05 

5.5. 

5.35 

5.28 

5.72 

6.15 

5.5 

5.35 


5.45 
5.28 
5.25 
5.25 
4.9 

4.45 

4.65 

4.62 

4.4 

4.28 

4.3 

4.38 

5.32 

4.65 

4.4 

4.25 






« 






2 












3-. 












4 












5 












6.. 












7 












8 












9 












10 












11 












12 












13 












14 












15 






1 




16 












17 












18 














19 














20 














21 














22 














23 














24 














25 














26 














27 














28 














29 














30 














31 































Rating tables for South Fork of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va. 

JUNE 2e, 1899, TO DECEMBER 31, 1903.0 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feel. 


3.80 


305 


5.10 


1,220 


6.40 


2,990 


11.00 


13, 610 


3.90 


350 


5.20 


1,330 


6.50 


3,150 


12.00 


16,590 


4.00 


400 


5.30 


1,440 


6.60 


3,320 


13.00 


20, 000 


4.10 


455 


5.40 


1,560 


6.70 


3,490 


14.00 


24,000 


4.20 


515 


5.50 


1,680 


6.80 


3,660 


15.00 


28, £00 


4.30 


580 


, 5.60 
* 5.70 


1,810 


7.00 


4,010. 


16.00 


33,300 


4.40 


650 


1,940 


7.20 


4,370 


17.00 


38,300 


4. ,50 


720 


5.80 


2,080 


7.40 


4,750 


18.00 


43, 500 


4.60 


795 


5.90 


2,220 


7.60 


5, 150 


19.00 


48, 900 


4.70 


870 


6.00 


2,370 


7.80 


5,570 


20.00 


54, 700 


4.80 


950 


6.10 


2,520 


8.00 


6,000 


22.00 


66, 900 


4.90 


1,030 


6.20 


2,670 


9.00 


8,300 


24.00 


80,200 


5.00 


1,120 


6.30 


2,830 


10.00 


10,910 







a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on five discharge 
measurements made during 1899-1903. It is well defined between gage heights 4.2 feet and 6.0 feet. 
Above gage height 8.0 feet estimates are based on a discharge curve which is the product of a well- 
defined area curve and an approximate extension of the velocity curve. The discharge curves for the 
periods 1899-1905, inclusive, are the same above gage height 10 6 feet. 



STKEAM flow: SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 



121 



Rating tables for South Fork of Shenavdoq]f, River near Front Royal, Va. — Continued. 

JANUARY 1, 1904, TO JULY 16, 1906.o 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


3.40 


320 


4.50 


890 


5.60 


2,070 


6.70 


3,770 


3.50- 


350 


4.60 


970 


5.70 


2,210 


6.80 


3,940 


3.60 


385 


4.70 


1,060 


5.80 


2,350 


6.90 


4,120 


3.70 


425 


4.80 


1,150 


5.90 


2,490 


7.00 


4,300 


3.80 


465 


4.90 


1,250 


6.00 


2,640 


7.20 


4,680 


3.90 


510 


5.00 


1,350 


6.10 


2,790 


7.40 


5,080 


4.00 


560 


5.10 


1,460 


6.20 


2,940 


7.60 


5,480 


4.10 


610 


5.20 


1,570 


6.30 


3,100 


7.80 


5,900 


4.20 


670 


5.30 


1,690 


6.40 


3,260 


8.00 


6,320 


4.30 


740 


5.40 


1,810 


6.. 50 


3,430 


9.00 


8,550 


4.40 


810 


5.50 


1,940 


6.60 


3,600 


10.00 


10,980 



a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on 9 discharge meas- 
urements made during 1904 to 1906. It is well defined between gage heights 3.4 feet and 5.3 feet. Above 
gage height 8.0 feet estimates are based upon a discharge curve which is the product of a well defined 
area curve and an approximate extension of the velocity curve. Above gage height 10.6 feet both rat- 
ing tables are the same. 

Estimated monthly discharge of South Fork of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va. 
, [Drainage area, 1,570 square miles.a] 





Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-off. 


Precipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 


In 
inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1899. 














2.52 
4.95 
5.12 
1.16 
4.95 
6 2.09 
2.51 
3.94 
3.78 
2.34 
.81 
1.34 




















Ma rch 
















April 
















May 
















June 26-30 . . 


650 
950 
1,275 
2,080 
685 
6,110 
3,920 


547 
428 
350 
485 
455 
650 
515 


594 
538 
599 
759 
559 
1,236 
1,121 


.378 
.343 
.382 
.484 
.356 
.788 
.714 


.070 
.395 
.440 
.540 
.410 
.879 
.823 






Julv 


16 
11 
14 
18 
109 
61 


2. 11 


August 


3. 50 


September 


3 24 


October 


1.93 


November 


— 07 


December.. 


52 






The year 














35.51 




















1900. 
January 1 


12,800 
8,060 

12,680 
3,490 
2,010 
5,890 
1,120 
795 
1,070 
3,920 
7,005 
5,150 


950 
950 
1,680 
1,120 
720 
650 
515 
400 
350 
547 
580 
720 


2,265 

2,492 

3,551 

1,755 

1,160 

1,708 

776 

538 

499 

1,042 

1,285 

1,417 


1.44 
1.59 
2.26 
1.12 
.739 
1.09 
.495 
.343 
.318 
.664 
.819 
.903 


1.66 
1.66 
2.61 
1.25 
.852 
1.22 
.571 
.395 
.355 
.765 
.914 
1.04 


65 
45 
^ 70 
66 
35 
20 
15 
21 
■ 11 
24 
31 
57 


2.57 
3.73 
3.72 
1.89 
2.42 
5.98 
3.76 
1.93 
3.14 
3.19 
2.94 
1.83 


. 97 


February.. 


2 01 


March 


1 14 


April 


67 


May 


1 57 


June 


4 76 


July 


3 19 


August 


1 53 


September 


2 78 


October 


2 43 


November... . 


2 03 


December 


79 






The year 


12, 800 


350 


1,540 


.982 


13.29 


36 


37.10 


23.81 



>i Drainage area of 1,570 square miles used to obtain the run-off for 1906, and 1,569 used for all other 
years. 
b Precipitation for complete month, June, 1899. 



122 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of South Forlc of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va. 

Continued. 



Month. 



Discharge In second-feet. 



Maximum. 



Minimum. 



Mean. 



Run-off. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile 



Depth in 
inches. 



Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



1901. 

January 

February 

March : . 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year. 

1902. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year. 

1903. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year. 

1904. 

Januarya6 

February b 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December a 

The year. 



4,655 
1,220 
11,580 
46, 200 
40,900 
11, 720 
15, 070 
6,440 
7,580 
9,730 
2,595 
43, 500 



46, 200 



9,600 

54, 700 

76, 800 

12,260 

3,150 

1,030 

1,680 

795 

2,370 

2,370 

2,750 

6.220 



76, 800 



14, 320 
7,700 

17,390 

12, 400 
2,295 

13, 610 
7,225 
2,010 
5,570 
2,370 
870 
1,680 



17, 390 



6,650 

6,110 

5,080 

3,940 

5,480 

3.430 

6,215 

1,105 

640 

368 

368 

1,150 



6, 650 



515 

580 

515 

1,810 

1,680 

1,940 

1,440 

1,075 

720 

758 

650 

1,220 



1,366 
818 
1,975 
8,374 
5,768 
4,302 
3,912 
3,204 
1,825 
2,020 
966 
5,984 



.871 
.521 
1.26 
5.34 
3.68 
2.74 
2.49 
2.04 
1.16 
1.29 
.616 
3.81 



1.00 
.542 
1.45 
5.96 
4 24 
3.06 
2.87 
2.35 
1.29 
1.49 
.687 
4.39 



515 



3,319 



2.11 



29.33 



1,385 

1,330 

3,070 

1,560 

910 

650 

515 

400 

305 

455 

455 

1,440 



3,730 

6,439 

9,871 

3,826 

1,579 

861 

754 

571 

631 

848 

784 

3,040 



2.38 
4.10 
6.29 
2.44 
1.01 
.549 
.481 
.364 
.338 
.540 
.500 
1.94 



2.74 
4 27 
7.25 
2.72 
1.16 
.612 
.554 
.420 
.377 
.623 
.558 
2.24 



305 



2,736 



1.74 



23.52 



1,385 

2,445 

1,940 

2,220 

li0.30 

1,560 

910 

650 

650 

650 

580 

580 



3,859 

3,768 

5,043 

4 494 

1,417 

4,308 

2,338 

1,046 

1,738 

842 

691 

853 



2.46 
2.40 
3 21 
2.86 
.903 
2.74 
1.49 
.667 
1.11 
.537 
.440 
.544 



2.84 

2.50 

3.70 

3 19 

1.04 

3 06 

1.72 

.769 

1.24 

.619 

.491 

.627 



680 



2,533 



1.61 



21.80 



705 
560 

1,060 
740 

1.150 
740 
560 
350 
320 
320 
320 
320 



1,293 

1,649 

1,746 

1,486 

1,875 

1,375 

1.117 

613 

395 

326 

329 

530 



.824 
1.05 
1.11 
.947 
1.20 
.876 
.712 
.391 
.252 
.208 
.210 
.338 



.950 
1.13 
1.28 
1.06 
1.38 
.977 
.821 
.451 
.281 
.240 
.234 



320 



1,061 



.676 



9.19 



43 
164 
38 
95 
73 
41 
66 
40 
34 
216 
34 
72 



2.31 
.33 
3.80 
6.24 
5.82 
7.54 
4 38 
5.92 
3 78 
.69 
2.01 
6.12 



48.94 



102 
96 
201 
122 
44 
21 
25 
19 
15 
17 
17 



2.69 
4 46 
3 61 
2.23 
2.64 
2.93 
2.17 
2.22 
2.59 
3.65 
3.21 
3.38 



35.78 



4 08 
3.49 
415 
3.62 
2.69 
7.63 
3.06 
3 63 
2.42 
2.39 
.82 
.96 



56 



38.84 



1.80 
1.26 
2.08 
2.64 
3 43 
5.57 
5.04 
2.53 
1.95 
1.20 
.95 
2.46 



30 



30.91 



a Ice conditions during January and December, 1904; no correction made in estimates. 
b Estimates January 25 to February 25, 1904, approximate. 



STBEAM FLOW : SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 



123 



Estimated monthly discharge of South Forlc of Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Va. — 

Continued. 





Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-ofl. 


Precipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Mi'iimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


nepth in 
inches. 


Per cent 
of precip- 
itation. 


In 
inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1905. 
January ^- 


2,005 
6,320 
6,870 
1,810 
2,005 
9,380 
5,480 
3,068 
1,200 
474 
474 
7,024 


425 
560 
1,405 
740 
560 
465 
890 
560 
417 
350 
378 
425 


917 

1,140 

3,104 

1,143 

920 

1,372 

2,236 

1,014 

595 

417 

425 

1,476 


.584 
.726 

1.98 
.728 
.586 
.874 

1.42 
.646 
.379 
.266 
.271 
.941 


.673 
.729 

1.99 
.812 
.676 
.975 

1.64 
.745 
.423 
.307 
.302 

1.08 


24 


2.79 

6 2.11 

6 2.25 

2.08 

3.45 

4 30 

6.23 

2.90 

1.68 

2.65 

.83 

3.81 


2.12 


February 1-27 o 

March 5-31 








April 


39 
20 
23 
■ 26 
25 
25 
12 
36 
28 


1.27 


May 


2.77 


June 


3.32 


July 


4 59 


August 


2.16 




1.26 


October 


2.34 


November 


.53 




2.73 




















35.08 





















Month. 



1906. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-16 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 



7,354 
1,849 
4,980 
5,795 
1,594 
4,120 
1,875 



1,2,50 
622 
652 

1,405 
670 
610 
705 



2,283 
957 
2,233 
2,393 
1,049 
1,464 
1,139 



Run-off. 



Second-feet 

per square 

mile. 



1.45 
.610 
1.42 
1.52 
.668 
.932 
.725 



Depth in 
inches. 



1.67 
.635 

1.64 

1.70 
.770 

1.04 
.431 



a lee conditions during January and February, 1905; no correction made in estimates. 
6 Precipitation for complete month, February and March, 1905. 

MISCELLANEOUS DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS IN SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER 
BASIN BELOW PORT REPUBLIC. 

The following miscellaneous discharge measurements were made in 
the basin of South Fork of Shenandoah River below Port Republic: 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements in South Fork of Shenandoah River basin below 

Port Republic. 



Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width. 


Area 

of 

section. 


Mean 
ve- 
locity. 


Dis- 
charge. 


1895. 
August 7 

1897. 


South Fork of Shen- 
andoah River. 

do 


At Southern Rwy. bridge, 
400 feet above junction of 
North and South Forks, 
near Riverton, Va. 

do 


Feet. 


Square 
feet. 
304 

252 
464 
8.4 


Feet 
per sec. 
2.60 

2.27 
.84 
.65- 


Second- 
feet. 
791 

572 


October 31 


do 


Near Elkton, Va 




389 


Do 


Elk Run 


....do 


11 


5.5 


October 30 


Naked Creek 


Near Verbena, Va., i mile 
above mouth 


a 25 




Hawksbill Creek 

Flint Run . . 


31 

8 

6 


66 
5 

5 


1.08 
.04 

.46 




October 27 




ill 


October 6 


Near mouth, 5 miles above 
Front Royal, Va. 

100 yards above mouth, un- 
der Norfolk and West- 
ern Rwy. bridge, 5 miles 
above Front Royal, Va. 


c3 2 


Do 


Gooneys Creek 


d2.3 



o Includes 11 second-feet in tail race below mlM. 

b Discharge probably increased by rains of preceding week. 

IRR 192—07—9 



Flint Run fed by large springs. 

i Flow stated to be exceptionally low. 



124 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 



NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN. 
PASSAGE CREEK AT BTJCKTON, VA. 

Passage Creek rises on Massanutten Mountain, in the western part 
of Page County, Va., flows northeastward, and joins North Fork of 
Shenandoah River about 5 miles above Riverton, Va. 

The gaging station was established October 26, 1905, by Robert 
Follansbee and was discontinued July 16, 1906. It is located about 
700 feet above the mouth of the creek, at the trestle of the Southern 
Railway at Buckton, which is a siding 1 mile east of Waterlick, Va. 

The channel is straight for 200 feet above and 100 feet below the 
station. The current is moderate at the measuring section, but from 
a point 100 feet below the section to the mouth of the creek the 
velocity is rapid, the fall in that distance being from 6 to 8 feet. The 
banks above the bridge are fairly high, wooded, and not liable to over- 
flow. Below the bridge the}' are low and liable to overflow during 
very high water, the flood plain being several hundred feet wide at 
such times. The channel between abutments is broken by seven 
trestle bents, and there are from three to eight channels, according to 
the stage of the river. 

Discharge measurements at ordinary and low stages were made 
from the railway trestle or by wading a short distance above at a point 
where conditions are better. High-water measurements can be made 
from the highway bridge 2 miles upstream. ''This latter is not a good 
section at ordinary stages, as the current is too sluggish. 

A staff gage, which is read once each day and oftener in floods by 
Nehemiah Messick, is nailed vertically to the third trestle bent from 
the left abutment. 

The bench mark is the head of a nail 4 feet above ground, driven 
horizontally in a blaze on a tree situated 15 feet downstream from the 
lower end of the wing wall on the right bank; elevation, 5.41 feet 
above gage datum. 

No estimates of flow have been made for this station, as the number 
of measurements is insufficient. 

Discharge measurements of Passage Creek at Buckton, Va. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Dis- 
charge. 


1905. 
October 26 


Feet. 
1.23 
1.25 


Second-feel. 
40 
50 


1906. 
April 13 


Feet. 
1.40 
1.72 


Second-feet. 
91 


December 27. 


June 16 ^ 


132 









STBEAM FLOW : PASSAGE CREEK. 
Daily gage height, infect, of Passage Creek at Buchton, Va. 



125 



Day. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Day. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Day. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 




0.95 
.9 
.95 
.9 
.95 

.95 

.9 

.95 

.9 

.95 

.95 


0.9 

.9 

.95 

1.4 

1.2 

1.2 

1.1 

1.15 
.95 
.95 

.95 


1905. 
12 




0.85 
.9 

.85 
.9 

.95 

.85 

.9 

.85 

.95 

.9 
.9 


0.9 
.95 
.9 
.95 

1.15 
al. 1 
al. 15 
al. 1 

1.15 

3.15 
3.1 


2 
2 

2 

2 
2 
2 
2 
3( 
3 


1905. 
3 




0.9 
.85 
.9 

.9 

.85 

.9 

.85 

.95 


2.35 


2 




13 




i 




2.0 


3 




14 




) 




1.95 


4 




15 




3 


1.2 
1.15 
1.15 
.9 
.95 
.95 




5 




16 




1.45 






J 


1.4 


6 


17 




i 


1.25 






18 




) 


2.2 


8 




19 . . 




1 


1.8 


9 




20 




L 


1.4 


10 




21 ... 
















11 


22 
















- Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1906.6 
1 


1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

3.4 

2.0 

1.8 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.55 

1.55 

1.5 

1.4 

1.4 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.3 

1.3 

1.3 

1.2 

1.2 

1.2 

1.25 

1.2 

1.2 

1.2 

1.25 

1.2 

1.2 

1.2 


1.2 

1.25 

1.3 

1.3 

1.3 

1.4 
1.4 
1.6 
1.7 
1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.2 
1.1 
1.1 

1.2 

1.15 
1.15 
1.1 
1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 

1.1 


1.1 
1.0 
1.1 
3.1 
2.2 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.4 

1.4 

1.35 

1.4 

1.6 

1.5 

1.6 
1.8 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.6 
3.4 
3.4 
3.3 
2.6 


2.6 
2.2 
1.9 
1.8 

1.7 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.3 
1.9 

1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

2.5 

2.4 

2.0 

1.85 

1.7 

1.6 

1.55 

1.5 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.65 

1.5 

1.4 

1.35 


1.3 

1.3 

1.3 

1.25 

1.25 

1.25 

1.25 

1.3 

1.25 

1.2 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.1 

1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
.95 
.9 
.9 
.8 

.75 

.8 

.95 

1.0 

.9 

.85 


.85 
.95 
.9 
.85 
.9 

1.1 
1.0 
.9 

.85 
.85 

.85 
1.1 
1.0 

.9 

.9 

1.6 

2.55 

3.2 

2.2 

2.1 

2.4 

2.52 

2.1 

1.95 

1.9 

1.7 
2.6 
1.7 
1.6 
1.4 


1.3 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.1 

1.0 
.9 
.9 












2 












3 












4 












5 












6 
























8 












9 




?S 












10 


. 


^5 












11 


.85 
.8 
1.0 
.85 
.85 












12 












13 












14 












15 












16 












17 














18 














19 














20 . 














21 














22 














23 














24 














25 














26 














27 














28 














29 














30 














31 







































o Creek frozen December 17-19,1905. 



b lae conditions February 4-13, 1906. 



NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER NEAR RIVERTON, VA. 

North Fork of Shenandoah River rises in the northern part of Rock- 
ingham County, Va., and flows in a very tortuous southeastward and 
northeastward course to Riverton, Va., where it unites with South 
Fork to form the main Shenandoah. Its drainage area is 1,040 
square miles. 

The flow of this stream is rather variable, although the discharge of 
some of its tributaries, especially in the upper part of the valley, is 
constant. The mills on North Fork are small, and the dams are gen- 
erally of wood or brush. 



126 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

The gaging station was established June 26, 1899, by A. P. Davis, 
and was discontinued July 15, 1906. It is located about 2 miles above 
Riverton, on the farm o^vned by L. W. Burke. It is most easily 
reached by driving from Front Royal. 

The channel is straight for 600 feet above and below the station. 
The current has a moderate velocity. Both banks are low and liable 
to overflow and are fringed with trees. The bed of the stream is com- 
posed of rock and mud and shifts somewhat, but the flow is controlled 
by the dam at Riverton, 2 miles below. There is but one channel at 
all stages. 

Discharge measurements were made by means of a cable, car, and 
tagged wire just above the ford. The cable has a span of 260 feet, is 
supported by timbers, and is anchored in the ground at each end. 
The initial point for soundings is 0.5 foot from the timber which sup- 
ports the tag wire on the left bank. 

The original gage was a vertical timber bolted to a large sj'-camore 
tree on the right bank. On September 10, 1900, the gage was removed 
to the left bank, and its datum was lowered 1 foot, causing all readings 
to be increased by 1 foot. The gage at this station was washed out in 
the flood of February 22, 1902, and the station was abandoned until 
August 17, 1902, when it was reestablished, the zero of the new gage 
being at the same elevation as the zero of the preceding gage. The 
vertical gage rod is spiked to a sycamore tree on the left bank 100 feet 
above the cable station. The gage was read twice each day by L. W. 
Burke. The bench mark is a wire nail driven into a pear tree, located 
near a fence, 150 feet from the left bank of the river. Its elevation 
above the zero of the gage is 26.75 feet. 

All estimates published prior to 1905 have been revised. The plot- 
ting of the discharge measurements gives three distinct curves. The 
change from the first to the second curve occurred some time between 
June 20, 1901, and August 16, 1902. It was due, to a slight extent, to 
changes at the cable section, but chiefly to a radical change at some 
controlling point below the cable. The change from the second to 
the third curve was due to an increase in the height of the dam at 
Riverton from 8 feet to 10 feet during August, 1904. Estimates 
below gage height 6.5 feet as based on the first two curves are consid- 
ered to be within 5 per cent and as based on the third curve within 5 per 
cent or less of the true discharge for normal conditions of flow. Esti- 
mates above gage height 6.5 feet may be in error from 10 to 15 per 
cent. Estimates for June 20, 1901, to August 16, 1902, are also liable 
to errors as high as 20 to 50 per cent owing to lack of information con- 
cerning the exact date when the change in conditions of flow took 
place. Estimates for August, 1904, are also liable to considerable 
error from the same cause. Ice conditions at and below the gage 
affect the flow during the winter months. 



STREAM flow: NOETH FORK OF SHEKANDOAH. 



127 



A summary of the records furnishes the following results: Maxi- 
mum discharge for twenty-four hours, 21,630 second-feet; minimum 
discharge for twenty-four hours, 90 second-feet; mean annual rainfall 
for Seven years, 37.91 inches. 

Discharge measurements of North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. 



Date. 



1899. 
September 2 . . . 
September 2 b.,, 

1900. 
February 13 . . . 

June 18 

September 10 b . 

1901. 
July 20 

1902. 
August 16 

1903. 
.\ugust 21 



a Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
3.85 
3.85 



4 25 
6.30 
3.60 



4.20 



4.40 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
270 
287 



645 

2,923 

146 



2,410 



256 



388 



Date. 



1904. 

June 10 

Julyl 

September 27 . . 
October 19 

1905. 

Aprils 

May 17 

October 27 

December 27 

1906. 
April 13 



a Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
4.81 
4.71 
3.95 
4.11 



5.18 
5.68 
4.48 
5.60 



5.60 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
578 
480 
93 
130 



645 



273 
961 



a All gage heights refer to 1905 datum. *> Measured by wading. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of North Fori: of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. 



Da,y. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1899.0 6 
1 ... . 














3.8 

3.8 

3.78 

3.8 

3.73 

3.78 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.78 

3.75 

3.75 

3.7 

3.68 
3.68 
3.78 
3.75 
3.7 

3.68 
3.68 
3.65 
3.58 
3.62 

3.7 

3.68 

3.85 

4.12 

3.8 

3.7 


3.68 

3.68 

3.68 

3.7 

3.65 

4.0 

3.95 

3.95 

3.82 

3.8 

3.72 

3.7 

3.7 

3.72 

3.7 

3.78 

3.78 

3.78 

3.7 

3.65 

3.62 
3.62 
3.68 
3.65 
3.62 

3.65 

3.62 

3.7 

3.68 

3.95 

3.9 


3.88 
3.88 
3.95 
3.85 
3.72 

3.72 

3.72 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 
3.72 
3.72 
3.7 

3.7 

3.68 

3.7 

3.68 

3.6 

3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 

3.78 

3.75 

3.7 

3.7 


3.7 

3.68 

3.6 

3.65 

3.7 

3.68 
3.65 
3.65 
3.68 
3.7 

3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 

3.65 
3 65 


4.2 

3.95 

3.95 

3.95 

3.86 

3.8 
3,8 
3.8 . 
3.8 
3.8 

3.78 

3.75 

3.73 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

•K 7 


3.68 

3.7 

3.65 

3.65 

3.62 

3 6 


9 














3.- 














4 














5 














6 














7 













3.62 
3.65 
3.6 
3.62 

3 65 


8 














9 














10 - 














11 














12 














3 68 


13-- 














3.8 
3 85 


14 














15 












. 


3 9 


16 














3 9 


17 














3 9 


18 














3 7 -■< 7 


3 9 


19 














3.68 
3.7 

3.65 
3.65 
3.65 
3.65 
3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.68 

3.75 


3.7 
3.7 

3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.65 

3.68 


3 88 


20 












, - 


3 8 


21 














3 8 


22 














3 8 


23 














3 8 


24 














3 8 


25 














3 82 


26 












3.85 
3.88 
3.88 
3.88 
3.8 


3 88 


27 












4 


28 












4 


29 












4 


30 












4 


31 












4.0 



a All gage heights June 26, 1899, to September 10, 1900, refer to 1906 datum. Datum lowered 1.00 foot 
September 10, 1900. 
b River frozen December 26-31, 1899. 



128 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 



Daily gage height, infect, of North Fori of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. — 

Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June 


July 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1900.a b 
1 


4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

3.98 

3.92 

3.9 

3.8 

3.8 

3.92 

4.92 

7.3 

5.65 

4.9 

4.55 

4.25 

4.02 

4.0 

4.0 

4.5 

5.0 

5.0 

3.72 

3.75 

3.8 

3.78 

3.8 

3.85 

3.75 

3.8 

3.72 

3.7 

4.15 

5.3 

5.75 

5.1 

4.85 

4.68 

4.45 

4.3 

4.3 

5.55 

4.95 
4.35 
4.05 
3.98 
4.0 

3.98 

4.0 

4.0 

3.95 

3.92 

3.9 


5.0 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 
4.9 

4.5 

4.38 

4.1 

4.0 

3.95 

4.0 

3.98 

4.12 

5.1 

5.2 

4.87 
4.62 
4.42 
4.35 
4.35 

4.25 

4.75 

6.98 

6.3 

5.63 

5.15 
4.9 

4.8 

3.95 

3.9 

3.85 

3.78 

3.8 

3.9 

3.95 

3.88 

3.82 

3.82 

3.82 

3.8 

3.9 

4.0 

3.95 

3.88 

3.8 

3.8 

3.82 

3.78 

3.8 

4.0 

3.98 

3.95 

3.92 

3.85 
3.82 
3.72 


5.05 

7.85 

6.55 

5.4 

5.1 

4.88 
4.82 
4.75 
4.68 
4.6 

4.5 

4.42 

4.38 

4.35 

4.35 

4.35 
4.3 

4.25 

4.5 

6.95 

8.2 

6.7 

5.9 

5.42 

5.18 

5.0 

5.0 

4.9 

4.9 

4.85 

4.8 

3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.8 
3.78 

3.8 

3.85 

3.85 

3.8 

3.85 

11.25 
9.05 
6.5 
5.68 
5.35 

4.98 
4.75 
4.62 
4.52 
4.2 

4.9 
4.9 
4.9 

4.82 
4.7 

4.62 

4.75 

4.75 

4.55 

4.5 

4.45 


4.7 

4.58 

4.52 

4.48 

4.4 

4.32 

4.28 

4.25 

4.2 

4.15 

4.15 
4.15 
4.15 
4.15 
4.1 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.2 
4.55 

4.6 

4.6 

5.22 

5.4 

5.1 

4.75 

4.02 

4.5 

4.42 

4.32 

4.38 

4.4 

6.0 

7.65 

6.6 

6. 25 

6.25 

5.9 

5.4 

5.1 

4.85 
4.7 
4.6 
7.45 
12.6 

8.3 
6.9 
6.25 
5.85 
,7.4 

16.5 
12.45 
8.5 
6.8 
6.65 

6.1 
5.7 
5.3 
5.1 
5.0 


4.25 

4.17 

4.15 

4.1 

4.05 

4.05 

4.0 

3.98 

3.95 

3.92 

3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 

3.82 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.75 

4.98 

4.9 

4.8 

4.72 

4.65 

4.6 

4.5 

4.42 

5.15 

6.25 

6.62 

6.25 

5.65 

5.3 

4.85 

4.68 

4.6 

4.72 

4.55 

4.52 

4.65 
7.05 
14.7 
8.7 
7.15 

6.55 

6.65 

7.05 

7.2 

6.7 

6.2 


3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.9 
3.88 

3.82 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.75 

3.72 

3.7 

3.72 

3.75 

3.78 
4.45 
5.75 
5.75 
4.98 

4.62 

4.3 

4.2 

4.15 

4.08 

4.0 

3.92 

3.9 

3.9 

3.9 

6.1 

5.65 

5.15 

5.48 

4.85 

5.95 

6.6 

7.1 

5.9 

5.4 

5.0 

4.78 
5.1 
5.3 
4.95 

12.15 

11.1 
7.5 
6.25 
5.9- 

6.95 

6.75 

6.2 

5.75 

5.25 

5.3 

5.55 

4.7 

5.4 

5.6 


3.9 

3.9 

3.85 

3.78 

3.72 

3.72 

3.7 

3.7 

3.68 

3.68 

3.62 
3.G2 
3.62 
3.65 
3.62 

3.6 

3.68 

3.62 

3.6 

3.6 

3.62 

3.7 

3.82 

5.28 

4.32 

4.22 

4.0 

3.92 

3.82 

4.08 

3.8 

4.95 

4.75 

4.7 

4.7 

4.5 

4.8 

5.5 

4.3 

4.45 

4.35 

4.4 
4.7 
4.7 
6.4 
6.9 

6.82 

7.1 

6.48 

6.95 

6.1 

5.3 

4.95 

4.75 

4.55 

4.5 

4.3 

4.35 

4.3 

4.15 

4.65 

4.35 


3.72 

3.65 

3.6 

3.55 

3.52 

3.5 

3.5 

3.55 

3.58 

3.6 

3.6 

3.58 

3.5 

3.5 

3.5 

3.55 

3.6 

3.6 

3.55 

3.55 

3.5 

3.62 

3.6 

3.6 

3.6 

3.6 

3.55 

3.6. 

3.62 

3.6 

3.62 

4.2 

4.28 

4.1 

4.05 

4.05 

4.3 

5.8 
5.5 
4.8 
4.45 

4.3 
5.2 
5.55 

4.7 
4.4 

4.6 

4.58 

4.35 

4.55 

4.4 

4.15 

4.05 

4.05 

4.2 

4.6 

4.75 

4.5 

4.25 

4.3 

4.5 

4.9 


3.6 

3.6 

3.62 

3.62 

3.58 

3.6 
3.6 
3.58 
3.6 
3.6 ■ 

3.6 

3.6 

3.58 

3.6 

3.6 

3.7 

3.68 

3.65 

3.68 

3.6 

3.6 

3.58 

3.58 

3.6 

3.6 

3.6 

3.6 

3.62 

3.72 

3.95 

5.25 

5.55 

5.2 

4.92 

4.75 

4.4 

4.25 

4.22 

4.1 

4.05 

4.2 

4.1 

4.02 

4.0 

4.0 

4.15 

4.15 

4.15 

4.1 

4.05 

3.95 

3.88 

3.88 

3.8 

3.8 

3.7 

3.65 

3.65 

5.15 

5.9 


3.8 

3.8 

3.75 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.78 

3.8 

3.7 

3.7 

3.68 

3.65 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.78 

3.8 

3.75 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.75 

3.78 

3.85 

3.9 

3.8 

3.75 

3.72 

3.7 

5.02 

4.65 

4.4 

4.35 

4.3 

4.22 

4.1 

4.15 

4.1 

3.95 

3.95 

4.0 

3.95 

3.9 

3.9 

3.82 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.82 

3.78 

3.75 

3.7 

3.7 

3.72 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.82 

3.82 

3.8 


3.7 

3.72 

3.7 

3.75 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.7 

3.65 

3.62 

3.7 

3.6 

3.6 

3.68 

3.65 

3.6 

3.6 

3.62 

3.62 

3.65 

3.7 

3.62 

3.6 

3.68 

3.7 

4.65 

7.0 

5.25 

5.35 

4.45 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.7 
3.6 
3.6 
3.7 
3.7 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.7 
3.7 

3.7 

3.8 

3.85 

5.25 

4.85 

4.5 

4.25 

4.35 

4.05 

4.0 


4.15 


2 


3.92 


3 


4.02 


4 


4.48 


5 


6.1 


6 


5.7 


7 


5.15 


8 


4.7 


9 


4.45 


10 


4.45 


11 


4.35 


12 


4.0 


13 . . 


3.95 


14..." 


3.95 


15 


4.0 


16 


3.95 


17 


4.05 


18 


3.9 


19 


3.9 


20 


3.78 


21 


3.7 


22 


3.6 


23 


3.8 


24 . 


3.75 


25 


3.7 


26 


3.75 


27 . 


3.8 


28 


3.78 


29 


3.78 


30 


3.72 


31 


3.72 


1901.C 
1 


3.95 


2 


3.82 


3 


3.98 


4 


4.42 


5.. 


4.45 


6 


4.52 


7 


4.35 


8 . 


4.25 


9 


4.38 


10 


4.3 


11 .. 


4.4 


12.. 


4.4 


13 


4.35 


14 .. 


4.4 


15 


10.6 


16 


9.1 


17 


6.2 


18 


5.5 


19 


5.1 


20 


4.9 


21..; 


8.0 


22 


7.5 


23 


7.5 


24 


7.5 


25 


7.5 


26 




27 


7.5 


28 


6.9 


29 


8.2 


30 .. 


13.1 


31 


8.25 



a All gage heights June 26, 1893, to September 10, 1900, refer to 1906 datum. Datum lowered 1.00 foot 
September 10, 1900. 
c River frozen January 1-14 and January 30 to February 6, 1900. 
d Ice conditions during part of January and February, 1901; river frozen December 21 to 28, 1901. 



STREAM FLOW : NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 129 

Daily (jagc height, in feci, of North Fork of Shenandoah Rivernear Riverlon, Va. — Cont'd. 



Dav. 



1902.1 



1903.6 



Jan. Feb. 



7.05 

6.2 

5.75 

5.4 

5.0 

4.9 

4.85 

4.8 

4.7 

4.68 

4.55 

4.5 

4.0 

4.55 

4.6 

4.55 
4.48 
4.35 
4.28 
4.2 

4.3 

5.4 

5.15 

4.7» 

4.0 

4.75 
5.0 

6.15 
5.5 
5.05 
4.95 



4.7 
4.8 
10.9 
8 95 
7.15 

6.45 
6.05 
5.75 
5.4 
5.3 

.5.25 

6.3 

8.15 

7.9 

7.9 

7.9 

7.9 

7.35 

5.65 

6.35 

7.0 
(<^) 
5.6 
5.4 
5.25 

5.1 
5.0 
6.8 



4.9 
4.88 
4.8 
5.2 



5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

8.8 



Mar. 



5.4 
5.25 

5.2 

5.2 

5.15 

5.1 

5.1 

5.35 
5.7 
5.75 
5. 35 
5.5 

5.7 

5.5 

5.4 

5.55 

5.95 

6.05 
6.05 
7.65 



Apr. 



9.0 

7.15 
6.0 
6.1 
5.78 

5.6 

5.65 

5.95 

5.95 

5.75 

5.7 

5.6 

5.55 

5.45 

5,4 

5.25 

5.2 

5.15 

5.1 

5.1 

5.0 
5.75 
7.7 
10.0 



6.75 
6.25 
5.95 
5.65 
6.25 
7.0 



7.15 

6.8 

6.4 

6.25 

6.05 

5.75 

5.6 

5.6 

5.8 

5.65 

5.6 

5.4 

5.3 

9.85 

9.3 



8.0 
7.1 
6.6 
6.25 

6.0 

5.75 

5.65 

5.5 

5.45 

5.4 
5.4 
5.3 
5.2 
5.1 



May. 



June. 



5.1 

5.0 

5.0 

4.95 

4.8 

4.85 

4.85 

4.8 

4.75 

4.8 

4.75 

4.7 

4.7 

4.7 

4.7 

4.65 

4.6 

4.6 

4.0 

4.55 

4.55 

•4.5 

4.5 

4.7 

4.95 

4.75 

4.7 

4.8 

4.7 

4.8 

5.9 



9.05 
6.75 
5.95 
5.45 
5.15 

6.2 
8.4 
9.95 
7.5 
12.0 

7.5 

6.75 

6.65 

7.0 

6.35 

5.9 

5.55 

5.45 

5.2 

5.1 

5.05 
4.9 
4.9 
4.9 

4.85 

5.4 

5.25 

5.95 

8.1 

7.75 



July. 



Aug. 



6.3 

5.75 

5.4 

5.25 

5.6 

6.45 

5.5 

5.15 

4.95 

4.85 

4.8 
4.9 
5.4 
6.2 
5.7 

5.2 

5.0 

4.85 

4.8 

4.7 

4.7 
4.0 
4.0 
4.5 
4.5 

4.4 

4.4 

4.4 

4.4 

4.45 

4.4 



4.2 

4.2 

4.1 

4.15 

4.2 

4.2 

4.2 

4.25 

4.2 

4.2 

4.2 

4.1 

4.1 

4.15 

4.1 

4.1 



4.45 

4.5 

4.45 

4.6 

5.2 

4.85 
4.7 
4. .55 
4.5 
4.4 

4.45 
4.45 
4.4 

4.4 
4.4 

4.4 

4.5 

4.55 

4.55 

4.5 

4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.3 
4.3 



Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


4.05 


4.3 


4.1 


4.05 


4.2 


4.15 


4.1 


4.2 


4.1 


4.35 


4.2 


4.15 


4.1 


4.2 


4.05 


4.05 


4.2 


4.2 


4.0 


4.3 


4.2 


4.05 


4.2 


4.1 


4.05 


4.15 


4.1 


4.1 


4.1 


4,1 


4.05 


4.15 


4.0 


4.1 


4.25 


4.1 


4.05 


4.3 


4.1 


4.0 


4.6 


4.1 


4.0 


4.35 


4.1 


3.9 


4.3 


4.1 


4.0 


4.2 


4.1 


4.0 


4.2 


4.1 


4.0 


4.2 


4.2 


4.0 


4.15 


4.2 


4.0 


4.1 


4.2 


4.05 


4.1 


4.2 


4.05 


4.1 


4.2 


4.1 


4.1 


4.2 


4.1 


4.1 


4.35 


4.1 


4.1 


5.0 


4.1 


4.15 


5.15 


4.1 


4.2 


5.2 


4.15 


4.2 


5.1 


4.2 


4.2 
4.2 


5.0 


4.3 


4.3 


4.3 


4.6 


4.3 


4.25 


4.6 


4.3 


4.2 


4.4 


4.4 


4.3 


4.4 


4.25 


4.25 


4.4 


4.3 


4.2 


4.4 


4.4 


4.2 


4.35 


4.9 


4.2 


4.3 


4.95 


4.2 


4.4 


4.9 


4.2 


4.65 


4.8 


4.25 


4.6 


4. .55 


4.2 


4.5 


4.45 


4.3 


4,4 


4.6 


4.3 


4.35 


4.0 


4.2 


4.3 


4.5 


4.2 


5.0 


4.5 


4.25 


6.25 


4.5 


4.2 


5.65 


4.5 


4.2 


.5.1 


4.5 


4.3 


4.75 


4.4 


4.25 


4.7 


4.4 


4.2 


4.6 


4.4 


4.2 


4.6 


4.35 


4.2 


4.6 


4.3 


4.2 


4.55 


4.3 


4.2 


4.4 


4.3 


4.2 


4.3 


4.3 


4.2 


4.3 


4.3 


4.2 


4.3 


4.3 
4.3 


4.2 



n River frozen February 4 to 24, 1902. 

b River frozen January 12-28, December 10-23, 26-31. 1903. 

< Freshet January 22, 1903; gage pushed over by ice. 



130 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. — Cont'd. 



Day. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



1904.< 



1905. c 



4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

(0) 



4.28 

4.2 

4.35 

5.55 

5.9 

5.9 
5.9 



4.75 

5.5 

5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 



5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.5 

.5.5 

5.5 



4.7 

4.65 

4.7 

C.2 

0.2 

6.6 

5.15 

5.0 

4.9 

4.8 

4.78 

4.7 

4.7 

4.68 

4.6 

4.52 

4.55 
4.52 
4.65 
4.75 
4.8 

4.8 

4.8 

4.78 

4.7 

4.7 

4.78 



5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 



5.8 

5.75 

6.0 

6.4 

7.65 

7.45 
0.75 
6.4 
5.95 
5.75 

5.6 
5.5 
5.4 
5.4 
5.4 

5.95 

6.4 

0.5 

6.05 

7.45 

6.95 

6.5 

6.2 

5.9 

5.7 

5.55 



4.88 

5.0 

4.98 

4.88 

4.8 

4.72 

4.72 

4.7 

4.75 

5.1 

5.38 

5.15 

5.0 

4.9 

4.8 

4.72 
4.65 
4.55 
4.58 
4.5 

4.45 

4.48 
4.4 
4.4 
4.35 

4.5 

4.6 

6.0 

7.05 

6.4 



5.45 
5.3 
5.2 
5.15 
.5.15 

5.6 

5.8 

5.65 

5.5 

5.4 

5.25 

5.3 

5.25 

5.15 

5.1 

5.05 

4.98 

4.92 

4.9 

4.9 

4.8 

4.8 

4.75 

4.7 

4.7 

4.7 
4.7 
4.8 
4.8 
4.7 



5.86 

5.7 

5.4 

5.1 

5.05 

5.0 
4.9 
4.9 
4.9 
5.0 

4.95 

4.9 

4.8 

4.8 

4.75 

4.8 

4.7 

4.7 

4.78 

6.45 

5.7 

5.35 

5.15 

4.95 

4.78 

5.16 

4.95 

4.8 

4.7 

4.6 

4.8 



4.6 
4.7 
4.6 
4.6 
4.52 

4.6 

4.6 

4.52 

4.55 

4.5 

4.5 

4.5 

4.5 

4.55 

5.46 

6.16 

5.65 

5.35 

5.2 

4.55 

4.92 

4.8 

4.7 

4.62 

4.6 

4.55 

4.4 

4.5 

4.42 

4.4 

4.45 



5.65 

5.05 

4.85 

4.8 

4.85 

0.06 

6.7 

5.3 

4.96 

4.8 

4.72 

4.6 

4.5 

4.5 

4.4 

4.45 

4.45 

4.42 

4.5 

4.75 

5.26 

6.3 

4.86 

4.62 

4.45 

4.4 

4.36 

4.4 

4.38 

4.76 



4.6 

6.05 

4.85 

4.68 

4.55 

4.5 

4.9 

4.95 

4.7 

4.5 

4.42 

4.25 

4.65 

4.4 

4.4 

4.3 

4.2 

4.2 

4.26 

4.2 

6.2 
6.95 
7.6 
10.75 
9.05 

7.0 
6.2 
6.2 
5.7 
5.4 



4.72 

4.5 

4.38 

4.3 

4.35 

4.35 
4.32 
4.36 
4.4 
6.16 

6.82 

6.0 

5.76 

6.1 

4.86 

4 7 

4.65 

4.55 

4.6 

4.7 

4.55 
4.4 
4.38 
4.35 
4.5 

4.5 

4.4 

4.4 

4.65 

4.55 

4.45 



6.3 

6.45 

5.25 

6.05 

6.3 

6.9 

5.75 

5.6 

6.7 

5.3 

5.36 

6.16 

5.75 

6.9 

7.1 

6.1 

5.5 

5.2 

5.06 

4.92 

4.8 

4.8 

5.55 

5.95 

5.4 

5.15 

4.92 

4.78 

4.75 

5.6 

5.7 



4.3 

4.45 

4.4 

4.5 

4.5 

4.8 

4.5 

4.5 

4.45 

4.38 

4.4 

4.36 

4.35 

4.3 

4.2 

4.3 

4.2 

4.22 

4.2 

4.22 

4.2 

4.2 

4.3 

4.35 

4.2 

4.25 

4.2 

4.2 

4.1 

4.1 

4.15 



5.05 

4.8 

4.65 

4.6 

4.6 

4.48 

4.4 

4.35 

4.38 

4.4 

4.4 

4.4 

4.32 

5.1 

4.7 

5.48 

5.45 

5.0 

4.8 

4.7 

4.6 
4.4 
4.4 
4. .35 
5.0 

6.1 

5.45 

4.9 

4.76 

4.6 

4.5 



4.1 

4.06 

4.15 

4.15 

4.1 

4.05 

4.05 

4.1 

4.06 

4.1 

4.1 

4.1 

4.06 

4.2 

4.2 

4.15 

4.15 

4.1 

4.1 

4.05 

4.26 

4.1 

4.05 

4.1 

4.0 

4.0 

3.98 

4.05 

4.06 

4.1 



4.4 

4.4 

4.35 

4.3 

4.38 

4.45 

4.4 

4.4 

4.35 

4.3 

4.28 

4.3 

4.3 

4.3 

4.28 

4.32 

4.32 
4.4 
4.32 
4.32 

4.28 

4.25 

4.3 

4.2 

4.2 

4.15 

4.2 

4.2 

4.2 

4.2 



4.05 

4.0 

3.95 

4.0 

4.1 

4.1 

4.0 

4.05 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.1 

4.0 

4.05 

4.0 

4.05 

4.05 

4.05 

4.0 

4.05 

4.05 

4.0 

4.1 

4.1 

4.0 

4.1 

4.05 

4.06 

4.1 

4.02 

4.05 



4.2 

4.2 

4.15 

4.25 

4.2 

4.15 
4.15 
4.15 
4.15 
4.05 

4.26 

4.35 

4.25 

4.2 

4.2 

4.26 

4.25 

4.25 

4.2 

4.25 

4.2 

4.2 

4.15 

4.1 

4.2 

4.6 

4.48 

4.35 

4.3 

4.32 

4.42 



4.0 

4.0 

4.05 

4.05 

4.0 

4.05 

4.05 

4.0 

4.0 

4.1 

4.1 

4.05 

4.1 

4.1 

4.05 

4.1 

4.1 

4.02 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.02 

4.0 

4.05 

4.0 

4.05 

4.1 



4.35 

4.4 

4.3 

4.3 

4.38 

4.35 

4.35 

4.3 

4.22 

4.32 

4.38 
4.32 
4.28 
4.16 
4.22 

4.2 

4.18 

4.1 

4.18 

4.2 

4.16 

4.18 

4.2 

4.2 

4.22 

4.22 

4.18 

4.12 

4.2 

4.2 



a River frozen January 1-23, and December 12-26. 1904. 

'' Gago removed January 23, 1904, to protect from ice; replaced March 5, 1904. 

<; River frozen January 5 to March 4, 1905. 



STEEAM flow: NOKTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 131 

Daily gage height, in feet, of North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. — Cont'd. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1906. 
1 


5.7 

5.45 

5.4 

8.6 

7.75 

6.83 

6.2 

5.85 

5.58 

5.35 

5.37 

5.27 

5.25 

5.3 

5.4 

5.48 

5.4 

5.38 

5.33 

5.27 

5.2 

5.1 

5.05 

5.7 

5.9 

5.55 

5. .33 

5.3 

5.37 

5.43 

5.35 


5.3 
5.2 
5.1 
a 5.5 
5.0 

4.98 
a 5.15 
a 5.6 
a 5.5 
0. 5.25 

a 5.45 
4.9 
4.68 
4.6 
4.68 

4.65 
1 4.8 
4.55 
4.52 
4.6 

4.6 
4.6 
4.6 
4.6 
4.53 

4.55 
4.52 
4.58 


4.55 

4.5 

4.75 

6.45 

6.55 

5.9 

5.55 

5.45 

5.35 

5.25 

5.15 

5.0 

5.0 

5.0 

5.05 

5.2 

5.45 

5.58 

5.8 

5.9 

5:95 

6.2 
6.55 
6.45 
6.2 

6.1 

7.5 

9.4 

8.45 

8.35 

8.1 


7.9 

7.1 

6.7 

6.32 

6.1 

5.92 

5.75 

5.6 

5.52 

6.1 

5.95 
5.75 
5.62 
5.28 
6.4 

6.98 
6.4 
6.05 
5.88 
5.7 

5.58 

5.48 

.5.4 

5.28 

5.2 

5.2 

7.48 
6.7 
6.15 
5.85 


5.65 

5.5 

5.4 

5.35 

5.25 

5.32 
5.32 
5.48 
5.45 
5.3 

5.22 

5.2 

5.05 

5.0 

4.9 

4.88 

4.82 

4.8 

4.8 

4.72 

4.62 

4.6 

4.6 

4.55 

4.55 

4.52 

4.52 

.5.08 

4.9 

4.75 

4.65 


4.62 

4.7 

4.58 

4.52 

4.65 

4 62 
4.55 
4.75 
4. 62 
4.6 

4.85 
4.78 
4.65 
4.58 
5.05 

5.25 

5.5 

5.85 

5.9 

5.65 

6.85 

7.25 

6.6 

5.8 

5.55 

5.3 
6.1 
fi.2 
5.7 
5.35 


5.05 
4.88 
4.85 
6.12 
5.52 

5.2 

4.95 

4.82 

4.7 

4.6 

4.6 
4.6 
4.05 
4.62 












2 












3 












4 












5 












6 












7 












8 












9 










10 












11 












12 












13 












14 










15 








16 














17 














18 














19 














20 - 














21 














22 








! 




23 








1 




24 .. . 












25 












26 












27 












28. 












29 












30 












31 



























a Backwater due to ice conditions February 4, 7-11, and 17, 1906. 



Rating tables for North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. 

JUNE 26, 1899, TO FEBRUARY 25, 1902.a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


3,50 


90 


4.50 


800 


5.40 


1,760 


6.30 


2,910 


3.60 


140 


4.60 


895 


5.50 


1,880 


6.40 


3,050 


3.70 


195 


4.70 


990 


5.60 


2,000 


6.50 


3,190 


3.80 


255 


4.80 


1,090 


' 5.70 


2,130 


6.60 


3,330 


3.90 


320 


4.90 


1,190 


5.80 


• 2,260 


6.70 


3,470 


4.00 


390 


5.00 


1,300 


5.90 


2,390 


6.80 


3,610 


4.10 


465 


5.10 


1,410 


6.00 


2,520 


6.90 


3,750 


4.20 


545 


5.20 


1,520 


6.10 


2,650 


7.00 


3,890 


4.30 


625 


5.30 


1,640 


6.20 - 


2,780 


8.00 


5,380 


4.40 


710 















a This table is strictly applicable only for open-ohann&l conditions. It is based on six discharge 
measurements made during 1899-1901. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 3.5 feet and 6.5 feet. 
Estimates above gage height 8.0 feet were determined directly from the curve; no rating table was 
prepared. 



132 



THE POTOMAC EIVEH BASIN. 



Rating tables for North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. — Continued. 
AUGUST 16, 1902, TO AUGUST 15, 1904.a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Secondr-feet. 


3.90 


165 


5.00 


670 


6.10 


1,520 


7.20 


2,640 


4.00 


190 


.5.10 


735 


6.20 


1,610 


7.30 


2,760 


4.10 


220 


5.20 


800 


6.30 


1,700 


7.40 ■ 


2,880 


4.20 


255 


.5.30 


870 


6.40 


1,790 


7.50 


3,010 


4.30 


295 


5.40 


940 


6.50 


1,890 


7.60 


3,140 


4.40 


340 


5. 50 


1,015 


6.60 


1,990 


7.70 


3,270 


4.50 


390 


5.60 


1,090 


6.70 


2,090 


7.80 


3, 400 


4.60 


440 


5.70 


1,170 


6.80 


2, 190 


7.90 


3,540 


4.70 


495 


5. 80 


1,2.55 


6.90 


2,300 


8.00 


3,680 


4.80 


550 


5.90 


1,340 


7.00 


2,410 






4.90 


610 


6.00 


1,430 


7.10 


2,520 







AUGUST 16, 1904, TO JULY 14, lOOO.'' 



4.00 


100 


■5.10 


595 


6.10 


1,320 


7.10 


2,270 


4.10 


125 


5.20 


655 


6.20 


1,405 


7.20 


2,380 


4.20 


155 


5.30 


720 


6.30 


1,495 


7.30 


2,490 


4.30 


190 


5. 40 


785 


6.40 


1,585 


7.40 


2,600 


4.40 


230 


5.50 


855 


6.50 


1,680 


7.50 


2,720 


4.50 


275 


5.60 


925 


6.60 


1,775 


7.60 


2,840 


4.60 


325 


5.70 


1,000 


6.70 


1,870 


7.70 


2,960 


4.70 


375 


5.80 


1,075 


6.80 


1,970 


7.80 


3,080 


4.80 


425 


5.90 


1,155 


6.90 


2,070 


7.90 


3,210 


4.90 


480 


6.00 


1,235 


7.00 


2,170 


8.00 


3,340 


5.00 


535 















a This taljle is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on four discharge 
measurements made during 1902, 1903, and the first half of 1904. It is fairly well defined between gage 
heights 4.2 feet and 4.8 feet. Estimates above gage height 8.0 feet were determined directly from the 
curve. 

b This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on seven discharge 
measurements made during the latter part of 1904 and 1905-1906, after the dam had been raised. It is 
well defined between gage heights 4.0 feet and 5.5 feet. Estimates above gage height 8.0 feet were deter- 
mined directly from the curve. During August, 1904, the dam below the station was raised 2 feet. The 
exact date is uncertain, so the table is assumed to apply from August 16, 1904. 

Estimated monthly discharge of North Forlc of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va. 
[Drainage area, 1,040 square miles.o] 





Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-off. 


Precipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 


In 
inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1899. 
January 














2.52 
4.95 




February 






























5.12 
1.16 
4.95 


































June 20-30 


307 
481 
390 
355 
225 
5^5 
390 


255 
130 
151 
140 
140 
168 
140 


293 
228 
220 
227 
185 
238 
255 


.282 
.220 
.212 
.219 
.178 
.230 
.246 


.052 
.254 
.244 
.244 
.205 
.257 
.284 




6 2.09 
2.51 
3.94 
3.78 




July - . 


10 
6 
6 


2.20 


August 


3.70 




3.54 


October 


9 2.34 
32 j .81 
21 1.34 


2.14 


November . . 


.55 


December <■ 


1.06 


The year 














35.51 





















a Drainage area of 1,040 square miles used to obtain run-off lor 1906; 1,037 used for all other years. 

b Precipitation for complete month, June, 1899. 

c River frozen December 26-31, 1899; no correction made in estimates. 



STREAM flow: NOETH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 



133 



Estimated vionlhhj discharge of North Fork of Shenandoah River near Rirerton, Va. — 

Continued. 





Discharge in second-feet. 




Run-off. 




Precipitation. 


Month. 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth in 
inches. 


Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 


In 

inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1900. 
January a 


4,330 

3,862 

5,700 

1,760 

585 

2,195 

1,616 

207 

355 

320 

3,890 

2,650- 


255 
355 
585 
4U5 
225 
195 
140 
90 
130 
168 
140 
140 


702 
1,128 
1,620 
765 
324 
504 
294 
128 
155 
219 
441 
548 


0.077 
1.09 
1.56 
.738 
.312 
.486 
.284 
.123 
.149 
.211 
.425 
.528 


0.780 
1.14 
1.80 
.823 
.360 
.542 
.327 
.142 
.166 
.243 
.474 
.609 


30 
31 
48" 
43 
15 
9 
9 
7 
5 
8 
16 
33 


2.57 
3.73 
3.72 
1.89 
2.42 
5.98 
3.76 
1.93 
3.14 
3.19 
2.94 
1.83 


1.79 


February 

March 


2.59 
1.92 


April 


1.07 


May 


2.06 




5.44 


July 


3.43 


August 


1.79 


September 


2.97 


October 


2.95 


November 


2.46 


December 


1.22 






The year 


5,700 


90 


569 


.549 


7.41 


20 


37.10 


29.69 


1901. 
January b 


2,195 

390 

10,960 

21,630 

17,850 

12, 680 

4,030 

2,260 

2,390 

1,322 

1,580 

14, 580 


195 
207 
195 
693 
728 
990 
505 
428 
168 
195 
140 
268 


627 

299 

1,391 

4,034 

2,653 

2,842 

1,499 

862 

684 

396 

363 

3,091 


.605 

.288 

1.34 

3.89 

2.56 

2.74 

1.44 

.831 

.660 

.382 

.350 

2.98 


.698 

.300 

1.54 

4.34 

2.95 

3.06 

1.66 

.958 

.736 

.440 

.390 

3.44 


30 
91 
41 
70 
51 
41 
38 
16 
20 
64 
19 
56 


2.31 
.33 
3.80 
6.24 
5.82 
7.54 
4.38 
5.92 
3.78 
.69 
2.01 
6.12 


1.61 


February b 

March 


.03 
2.26 


April 


1.90 


May 


2.87 


June 


4.48 


July 


2.72 


August 


4.96 


September 


3.05 


October 


.25 


November 


1.62 


December c 


2.68 


The year... . 


21, 630 


140 


1,562 


1.50 


20.51 


42 


48.94 


28.43 


1902. 


3,960 
6,660 


545 
1,090 


1,304 
1,969 


1.26 
1.90 


1.45 
1.77 


54 


2.69 
e4.46 
3.61 
2.23 
2.64 
2.93 
2.17 
^2.22 
2.59 
3.65 
3.21 
3.38 


1.24 


February 1-25 <* 




March 






April 




























June ' 














July . 1 














August 16-31 


275 
318 
440 
800 
3,890 


220 
165 
220 
190 
495 


243 
2^11 
259 
317 
1,228 


.234 
.204 
.250 
.306 
1.18 


.139 
.228 
.288 
.341 
1.36 






September 

October 


9 
8 
11 
40 


2.36 
3.36 


November 


2.87 


December 


2 02 






The year 










35.78 
















1903. 
January 1-28 / 9 


8,390 

3,205 

6,860 

0,605 

1,340 

10, 360 

1,840 

800 

1,655 

640 

295 

522 


495 
735 
670 
735 
390 
580 
340 
255 
295 
275 
255 
255 


2,225 

1,127 

1,750 

1,848 

549 

2,208 

736 

371 

464 

373 

265' 

284 


2.15 
1.09 
1.69 
1.78 
.529 
2.13 
.710 
.358 
.447 
.360 
.256 
.274 


2.24 
.811 

1.95 

1.99 
.610 

2.38 
.819 
.413 
.499 
.415 
.286 
.316 




ft 4.08 

ft 3.49 

4.15 

3.62 

2.69 

7.63 

3.06 

3.53 

2.42 

2.39 

.82 

.96 




February 9-28 






March 


47 
55 
23 
31 
27 
12 
21 
18 
35 
33 


2.20 


April 


1.63 


Mav . . . 


2 08 


June. 


5 25 


July 


■2 24 


August 


3 12 


September 


1.92 


October 


1.97 


November 


,53 


December / 


.64 


The year. 














38.84 





















o River frozen January 1-14 and January 30 to February 6, 1900; no correction made in estimates. 

6 Ice conditions during part of January and February, 1901; no correction made in estimates. 

c River frozen December 21-28, 1901; no correction made in estimates. 

rf River frozen February 4-24, 1902; no correction made in estimates. 

<■ Precipitation for complete months, February and August, 1902. 

/River frozen January 12-28, December 16-23, 26-31, 1903; no correction made in estimates. 

n Freshet January 22, 1903. Gage pushed over by ice; discharge estimated. 

'' Precipitation for complete months, January and February, 1903. 



134 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of North Fork of Shenandoah River near Riverton, Va.- 

Continued. 



Month. 



1904. 
January 1-23 o. 

February 

March 5-31 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December a 



The year. 



1905. 
January 1-7,23-31' 

February c . .. 

March c e 

April 

May...' 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 



The year. 



1906. 

January 

February/. 
March . . . .\ . 

April 

May 

June 

July 1-14. . . 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Run-off. 



Maximum. 



255 



1,610 

2,465 

1,840 

2,090 

2,212 

550 

172 

125 

125 

850 



Minimum. 



255 



400 
318 
440 
318 
295 
125 
96 
90 
100 
105 



1,155 


155 


855 


855 


2,900 


785 


1,075 


375 


1,362 


230 


7,450 


155 


2,270 


400 


1,320 


198 


252 


140 


275 


112 


230 


125 


5,575 


140 



4,160 


565 


720 


285 


5,350 


275 


3,210 


655 


962 


. 285 


2, 435 


285 


1,337 


325 



Mean. 



255 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



620 
661 
718 
606 
554 
255 
124 
110 
112 
225 



759 
855 

1,335 
596 
406 

1,042 
908 
417 
192 
170 
172 



0.246 



.637 
.692 
.584 
.534 
.246 
.120 
.106 
.108 
.217 



.732 
.824 

1.29 
.575 
.392 

1.00 
.876 
.402 
.185 
.164 
.166 
.857 



1,036 
418 
1,421 
1,324 
545 
787 
523 



.996 
.402 
1.37 
1.27 
.524 
.757 
.503 



Depth in 
inches. 



0.210 



.600 
.711 
.798 
.652 
.616 
.284 
.134 
.122 
.120 
.250 



Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 



.436 

.858 
1.49 
.642 
.452 



.12 

.01 

.464 

.206 

.189 

.185 



1.15 
.419 
1.58 
1.42 
.604 
.845 
.262 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



!>1.80 
1.26 

6 2.08 
2.64 
3.43 
5.57 
5.04 
2.53 
1.95 
1.20 
.95 
2.46 



Loss In 
inches. 



30.91 



''3.39 
1.95 
2.44 
1.74 
3.21 
6.54 
6.29 
3.58 
1.50 
2.99 
.88 
3.81 



38.31 



1.93 
2.63 
4.92 
4.42 
2.25 
1.82 
1.08 
.83 
2.21 



1.09 
.95 
1.10 
2.76 
5.42 
5.28 
3.12 
1.29 
2.80 
.69 
2.82 



o River frozen January 1-23, and December 12-26, 1904; no correction made in estimates. 

b Precipitation for complete months, January and March, 1904. 

c River frozen January 5 to March 4, 1905; no correction made in estimates. 

d Precipitation for complete month, January, 1905. 

f Estimate March 5, 1905, interpolated. 

/ Baokvfater due to ice conditions February 4, 7-11, and 17, 1906; discharge corrected. 



STBEAM FLOW : SHENANDOAH KIVER BASIN. 



135 



MISCELLANEOUS DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS IN NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER 

BASIN. 

The following miscellaneous discharge measurements have been 
made in the basin of North Fork of Shenandoah River: 

Miscellaneous discharge measurements in North ForTc of Shenandoah River Basin. 



Date. . 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width. 


Area 
of sec- 
tion. 


Mean 
veloc- 
ity. 


Dis- 
charge. 


1895. 
August 7 

1897. 
October 4 


North Fork of Sben- 
andoah River. 

do 


300 feet below dam at county 
bridge and I mile above 
junction with South Fork 
of Shenandoah River,'near 
Riverton, Va. 

do 


Feet. 

150 
3.5 

18 

8 

6 


Square 
feet. 
210 

100 
2.1 

16 

3 

6 


Feet 

per sec. 

1.72 

1.40 
1.47 

1.69 

2.00 

.58 


Second- 
feet. 
362 

140 


Do. . .. 


Happy Creek. . . . 


200 feet above mouth, near 

Riverton, Va. 
J mile above mouth, near 

Strasburg, Va. 
At entrance to Fort Valley, 

near Riverton, Va. 
Near highway bridge, near 

Riverton and on road to 

Cedarville, Va. 


3.1 


October 12 




a 27 


October 15 

October 7 


Passage Creek 

Crooked Run 


6 
3.4 









a Discharge increased by heavy rains of preceding night. 
SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN BELOW NORTH AND SOUTH FORKS. 

SLOPE. 

The slope of the Shenandoah and South Fork from Harpers Ferry 
to Port Republic, Va., is shown on PI. III. The following table shows 
the elevations above tide of a number of points on Shenandoah River : 

Slope of Shenandoah River. 
[PI. III.] 

Fall per 
per mile 
between 
points. 



Locality. 



Harpers Ferry, junction with Potomac. 

Bulls FaUs 

Near mouth of Evitts Creek 

Castlemans Ferry 

Berrys Ferry 

Confluence of North and South forks . . . 
South Fork, near Port Republic 



Distance 


Eleva- 
tion 

above 
tide. 


Distance 


Fall 


from 


between 


between 


mouth. 


points. 


points. 


Miles. 


Feet. 


Miles. 


Feet. 


0.0 


242 


2.5 


44 


2.5 


286 


5.5 


40 


8.0 


326 


10.0 


34 


18.0 


360 


13.0 


40 


31.0 


400 


23.0 


53 


54.0 
150 


4531 
1,039/ 


96.0 


586 



Feet. 
17.6 
7.3 
3.4 
3.1 
2.3 

6.1 



a Profiles of the Norfolk and Western Railway give this elevation as 445 feet. 
SHENANDOAH RiVER AT MILLVILLE, W. VA. 

The Millville station was established April 15, 1895, by C. C. Babb. 
It is located about one-fourth mile above the Baltimore and Ohio 
Railroad station at Millville, W. Va. The highway runs within a 
few rods of the stream at the gaging station. The station is best 
reached by driving from Harpers Ferry, W. Va. 

The channel is straight for several hundred feet above and below 
the station, and the current is swift and unobstructed. Both banks 
are low and liable to overflow. There is but one channel at all 
stages. The bed pf the gtream i§ composed of mud and rocks. 



136 



THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN. 



Discharge measurements -are made from a |-inch cable, from which 
is suspended a car. The cable, which is suspended over the branches 
of two lai^e sycamore trees and is securely anchored to the bank at 
both ends, has a total span of 500 feet. The initial point for sound- 
ings is the side of the tree to which the cable is attached on the left 
bank. 

The vertical gage is spiked to a large sycamore tree on the left bank 
a few hundred feet downstream from the cable. The gage is read 
once each day by W. R. Nicewarner, the railroad station agent. The 
bench mark is a copper plug in the upstream side of the base of the 
second tree downstream fi'om the gage. Its elevation is 6.68 feet 
above the zero of the gage. 

All estimates published prior to 1905 have been revised. For nor- 
mal conditions of flow the estimates are probably within 5 to 10 per 
cent of the true discharge up to gage height 6.0 feet. Above gage 
height 6.0 feet the probable error is from 10 to 15 per cent, or even 
greater at extreme flood stages. Ice conditions affect the flow at this 
station during the winter months. 

A summary of the records furnishes the following results : Maximum 
discharge for twenty-four hours, 139,700 second-feet; minimum dis- 
charge for twenty-four hours, 480 second-feet; mean annual discharge 
for eight years, 3,352 second-feet; mean annual rainfall for eleven 
years, 38.05 inches. 

Discharge measurements of Shenandoah Rivei- at Millville, W. Va. 



Date. 



1895. 

April 24 

May 1 " 

May 2 a 

May 4 

May 8 

May 24 

June 8 

June 1.5 

June 22 

July 12 

1896. 
June 22 

1897. 

June 24 

July 23 

September 4 

October 25 

1898. 

January 24 

August Ifi 

October 1 

1899. 

January 27 

March io 

May If) 

September 3 

October 29 



Gage 
height-. 



Feet. 
1.90 
7.50 
6.80 
5.20 
3.08 
3.60 
1.50 
2.35 
1.10 
1.30 



1.99 



1.20 

1.82 

.52 

.72 



2.20 

i'4.30 

.90 



2.40 

5.00 

2.10 

.90 

.60 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
2.162 
19, 710 
15, 860 
10,980 
4,311 
5,745 
1.516 
3,044 
1,126 
1,150 



2,513 



Date. 



1900. 

February 24 

June 19 

September 15... 



1901. 

July 22 .,. 

December 27... 



August 17 



1902. 



1,371 

2,791 

632 

814 



1903. 



August 26. 

1904. 

June 13 

July 4* 

July 10 

September 28.. . 
October 20 



3,001 ' 

^,834 ,\pril22 

1,001 September 20 



1905. 



3,156 

10,840 

2,753 

1,086 

766 



May 29. 



1906. 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 

5.90 

4.55 

.40 



3.-30 
2.35 



.70 
1.00 



1.70 

1.20 

1.34 

.50 

.41 



1.40 
.84 



1.58 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 

12,980 

9,132 

500 



5,419 
3,291 



811 
1,107 



1,883 

1,137 

1,371 

564 

494 



1,595 
799 



1,790 



a The data for these measurements were partly estimated, 
the rating tables. 
t> Gage height is uncertain. 



They were not considered in preparing 



STBEAM FLOW : SHENANDOAH RIVEK. 
Daily gage height, infect, of Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. 



137 



Day. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


2.1 


2.0 


1.1 


0.7 


0.6 


0.5 


1.9 


4.1 


1.0 


1.3 


.6 


.5 


1.8 


3.0 


1.0 


1.0 


.6 


.6 


1.7 


2.4 


1.0 


.9 


.0 


.6 


1.7 


2.0 


1.0 


.8 


.0 


.6 


1.6 


1.8 


1.0 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.6 


1.7 


.9 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.5 


1.5 


.9 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.4 


1.4 


.9 


1.0 


.5 


.6 


1.4 


1.4 


.9 


.8 


.0 


.7 


1.3 


1.4 


.9 


.7 


.5 


.7 


1.3 


1.3 


.9 


1.0 


.5 


.7 


1.3 


1.3 


.9 


.9 


.5 


.7 


1.4 


1.3 


.8 


.9 


.5 


.7 


2.4 


1.2 


.7 


.7 


.5 


.7 


1.8 


1.1 


. 7 


.7 


.5 


.6 


1.5 


1.2 


.6 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.3 


1.5 


.6 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.2 


1.2 


.8 


.6 


.3- 


.6 


1.2 


1.1 


.8 


.6 


.5 


.6 


i.i 


1.0 


.8 


.7 


.5 


.6 


1.1 


1.0 


.8 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.0 


1.0 


.7 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.0 


1.2 


.6 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.0 


1.2 


.6 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.0 


2.1 


.6 


.6 


.5 


.6 


1.0 


2 2 


.6 


.6 


.4 


.6 


2.2 


1.9 


.5 


.6 


.4 


.6 


1.9 


1.7 


.5 


.6 


.4 


.6 


1.8 


1.5 


.5 


.6 


.4 


.6 




1.3 


1.5 




.4 




.9 


1.6 


1.3 


.7 


019.7 


.9 


.9 


1.6 


1.2 


.6 


slO.O 


.9 


.9 


1.5 


1.1 


.6 


5.6 


.9 


.9 


1.5 


1.0 


.6 


4.0 


.9 


.9 


1.5 


1.0 


.6 


3.4 


1.0 


.8 


1.5 


1.0 


.6 


2.8 


1.1 


1.0 


1.6 


1.1 


.5 


2.1 


3.2 


1.4 


1.6 


1.1 


.5 


2.0 


2.7 


1.9 


3.15 


1.0 


.5 


1.9 


2.4 


2.7 


4.65 


1.0 


.5 


1.8 


2.1 


2.8 


3.6 


1.0 


.6 


1.8 


1.9 


2.4 


2.5 


1.4 


.6 


1.6 


1.9 


1.6 


2.2 


1.6 


.6 


1.4 


1.9 


1.6 


2.2 


1.5 


.6 


1.4 


1.9 


1.9 


2.2 


1.4 


.6 


1.4 


1.9 


1.9 


2.2 


1.4 


.6 


1.4 


1.8 


1.8 


2.1 


1.7 


.6 


1.3 


1.7 


1.9 


2.0 


1.6 


.6 


1.3 


1.6 


2.2 


2.0 


1.3 


.6 


1.3 


1.6 


2.0 


1.8 


1.2 


.8 


1.2 


1.5 


1.9 


1.6 


1.2 


.8 


■1.1 


1.5 


2.0 


1.5 


1.2 


.8 


1.1 


1.5 


2.2 


4.1 


1.0 


.7 


1.0 


1.5 


2.0 


3.0 


1.0 


.6 


1.0 


1.5 


1.9 


3.3 


1.0 


.6 


1.0 


1.4 


1.8 


2.6 


.9 


.6 


1.0 


1.4 


1.8 


2.0 


.9 


.6 


1.0 


1.4 


2.2, 


1.7 


.8 


.6 


1.0 


1.4 


2.3 


1.5 


.8 


.6 


1.0 


1.4 


1.9 


1.4 


.8 


5.75 


1.0 


1.6 




1.3 


.8 




.9 





1895. 



11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



9. 
10. 

11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 



16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 



23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



1896. 



1.3 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 



.9 

.9 
2.4 
5.1 

5.3 

4.35 

3. .35 

2.0 

1.9 

1.7 



1.4 
1.6 
1.8 
2. a 

2.6 

2.9 
3.8 
5.6 ■ 
4.1 
3.7 

3.2 
2.9 
2.5 

2.4 
3.8 

3.5 
3.0 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 

2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
1.8 

1.7 
1.0 
1.5 
2.0 



2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
2.0 
1.7 

1.5 

1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.5 

1.5 
1.6 
3.0 
4.2 
4.6 

5.5 
4.6 
4.0 
3.5 
3.0 



2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.6 
4.6 



2.8 

3.0 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 
2.3 

2.3 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.8 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
2.1 
3.1 



4.6 
4.2 
3.8 
3.6 
3.2 

2.8 
2.6 
2.6 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 

1.7 

1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1,4 



7.4 

6.9 

6.2 

5.45 

4.4 

3.85 

3.3 

3.05 

2.9 

2.6 

2.6 
2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.3 

2.4 

2.7 

3.85 

3.75 

3.2 

2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.5 
2.3 
2.1 



1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.7 
1.8 

1.9 
2.4 
2.2 
2.0 
2.0 

1.9 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
2.4 

3.0 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.2 

1.8 
1.6 
1.5 
1.6 
1.5 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.1 



a Gage heights estimated October 1 and 2, 1896. 



138 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1897. 1 
1... 


1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.1 

1.1 
1.1 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.1 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.1 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 

1.5 
1.3 
1.2 
1.4 
1.0 

1.2 
.9 
1.3 
< .9 
1.1 

1.6 
1.2 
2.0 
1.9 
2.0 

3.6 
2.9 
2.6 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.3 
2.3 

2.2 
2.6 
2.4 
2.2 
1.5 
1.8 


1.1 
1.1 
1.6 
2.0 
2.2 

2.2 

"ai" 

5.4 
4.8 
41 
6.0 
4.7 

5.75 

5.9 

5.3 

4.9 

46 

45 

6.45 

10.05 

10.05 

6.7 

5.5 
46 
46 

2.1 
2.1 
1.8 
1.7 
2.1 

1.6 
1.8 
1.8 
1.6 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.0 

.9 

.9 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1 3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 


3.8 
3.6 
3.6 
3.6 
3.6 

3.6 
3.4 
3.3 
3.0 

2.8 

2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.8 
2.8 

3.5 
3.6 
3.4 
3.2 
3.2 

3.6 
3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.0 

2.9 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 
2.1 
2.0 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 . 

1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
.9 

■ .9 
.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 

.9 
1.1 
2.3 
2.0 
2.1 

2.1 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
2.9 

3.1 
2.9 
2.6 
2.6 
2.9 
3.4 


2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
2.2 

2.4 
2.3 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

40 
3.9 
3.2 
3.0 

2.8 

2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.0 

1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
2.2 

45 
5.6 
44 
3.8 
3.4 

2.8 
2.6 
2.4 
2.2 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 


1.5 

1.8 

9.35 

7.2 

5.2 

47 
3.6 
3.2 
2.9 
2.5 

2.4 
2.4 
2.5 
4 35 
6.6 

49 
3.9 
3.5 
3.2 
2.9 

2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
■ 1.8 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

2.3 
2.2 
2.0 
1.9 
1.7 

1.7 
2.0 
6.3 
8.9 

7.4 

5.4 
4 4 
3.7 
3.3 
2.9 

■ 2.8 
2.7 
2.4 
2.2 
2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
2.4 
2.9 
3.4 

2.9 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.1 
1.9 


1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.7 
1.7 

L9 
1.8 
1.7 

1.0 

1.6 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.6 

1.6 
1.4 
1.3 
1.2 
1.1 

1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
.9 

1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.4 
1.3 

11 

1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.4 

1.4 

1.4 
1.3 
1.4 
1.9 
1.8 

1.5 
1.7 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 


1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.1 

1.0 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 

....... 

1.0 
1.0 
1.2 

.9 
.9 
.9 
.8 
1.9 

2.6 
2.6 
1.8 
1.5 
1.3 

1.2 
1.1 
1.2 
1.5 
1.3 
1.1 

1.2 

""."§"" 
.8 
.9 

.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 

.8 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.7 

.7 
. 7 
.7 
.8 
.9 

1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
.9 
1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
2.6 
2.1 


1.1 
1.0 
.9 
.9 
.9 

1.5 
.9 
.9 
.9 
.8 

1.2 
1.0 

.9 
.8 

.7 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.6 
.6 

.6 
.6 
.6 
1.0 
1.3 

1.0 
.9 

.8 
.7 
.7 
.8 

2.2 
1.4 
1.2 
1.4 
3.6 

8.3 
41 
1.9 
3.9 
6.6 

ell. 7 
10.0 
6.0 
5.1 
4 1 

3.9 
3.6 
3.4 
2.8 
3.4 

2.7 
2.4 
2,3 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
1.6 
1.8 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 


0.7 
.7 
.7 
.6 
.6 

.6 
.5 
.5 
.5 
.4 

.4 
.4 

.4 
.4 
.4 

.4 
.4 
.4 
.4 
.4 

.4 
.4 
.4 
.6 
1.2 

.5 
.5 
.5 

.4 
.4 

1.5 

1.5 

1.55 

1.5 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.4 
1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 


0.5 
.5 
.5 
.5 
.5 

.5 

,35 

.35 

.35 

.35 

.4 
.5 
.5 
.5 
.5 

.5 
.5 

.45 

.4 

.4 

.45 

.5 

.5 

.55 

.7 

.8 
.9 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.9 

.9 

.9 
1.0 
1.0 
1.2 

1.8 
1.5 

1.7 
1.5 
1.4 

1.3 
1.2 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.1 
1.1 

7.75 
8.4 

5.0 
5.0 
9.1 
5.7 
4 4 

3.5 
3.4 
2.2 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 


0.9 

.9 

.9 
1.1 
1.4 

1.1 
.8 
.8 
.7 
.8 

.7 
.7 
.5 
.5 

.7 

.65 

.7 

.6 

.6 

.5 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.55 

.5 

.5 
.8 
.9 
.7 
.6 

2.8 
2.4 
2.5 
2.7 
2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 

1.9 
1.8 
1.7 

1.8 
1.7 

1.7 

1.7 

1.7v 

1.8 

2.3 

2.7 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.3 

2.3 
2.2 
2.0 
2.0 
2.2 


0.8 


2 


.8 


3 

4... 


.7 
.8 


5 

6 


1.0 
1.8 


7... 


1.2 


8 . 


1 1 


9 


.9 


10 

11 


.9 
.8 


12 


.9 


13 

14 


.9 
1.0 


15 . 


1. 7 


16 


2.4 


17 


2.7 


18 


2.2 


19 


1.8 


20 


1.6 


21 


1.3 


22 .• . 


1.3 


23 


1.3 


24 


1.3 


25 


1.3 


26 . 


2.0 


27 


1.5 


28 


1.6 


29 


1.5 


30 


1.2 


31 . - 


1.1 


1898. b 
1 

2 . 


2.1 
2.1 


3 

4 


2.1 
2.5 


5 


5. 4 


6 


6.0 


7 

8 


46 
3.8 


9 


3.0 


10. , 


2.8 


11 


2.6 


12 

13 


2.4 
2.4 


14 


2.2 


15 


1.9 


16 


2.2 


17 

18 


2.2 
2.2 


19 


2.3 


20 


2.0 


21 


2.0 


92 


2.0. 


23 


2.3 


24 


2.9 


25.. . . 


40 


26 


3.5 


27 


3.0 


28.. . 


2.8 


29 


2.5 


30 


2.4 


31 


2.3 



a Ice conditions during January and December 24-31, 1897. 
b Ice conditions during February, 1898. 
c Gage tieight estimated August 11, 1898. 



STBEAM flow: SHENANDOAH KIVER. 139 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1899. o 
1 


2.5 
2.2 
2.8 
2.6 
3.3 

3.8 
4.6 
6.7 
5.0 
4.5 

3.8 
3.5 
3.3 
3.0 
2.9 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.8 

2.6 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.3 
2.5 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

1.25 

1.3 

1.2 

1.15 

1.2 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.15 

1.2 
1.1 
1.3 
1.4 
1.5 

1.3 

1.2 

1.15 

1.2 

1.8 

6.0 
5.9 
4.2 
3.3 

2.8 

2.5 

2.25 

2.0 

1.9 

1.8 

1.85 


2.3 
2.1 
1.7 
2.0 
2.4 

2.5 
2.3 
2.5 
2.5 
2.3 

2.4 

""2."3'" 
2.4 

2.5 
2.7 
3.0 
3.0 
3.4 

4.0 

2.1 
1.2 
1.6 
1.55 
6 2.0 

i>2.0 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.9 
3.8 

3.3 
2.8 
2.5 
2.3 
2.2 

2.5 

2.45 

4.35 

5.9 

4.5 

3.8 
3.4 
2.8 


'"5.'6" 

5.5 
5.2 
46 
40 
40 

40 
45 
3.9 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.7 
3.5 
3.3 
3.1 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
3.0 
3.6 
3.3 

3.0 
48 
6.5 
48 
3.9 

3.4 

2.9 
2.8 
2.7 
2.6 

2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
3.3 

5.95 
6.2 
4 7 
3.9 
3.45 

3.15 

3.0 

2.95 

2.8 

2.7 

2.6 


3.1 
3.0 

2.8 
2.7 
2.6 

2.5 
2.4 
2.5 
3.1 
3.0 

2.9 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 

2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 

2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 

2.55 

2.5 

2.4 

2.25 

2.2 

2.1 

2.0 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

1.6 

1.6 

1.55 

1.6 

1.65 

2.1 

2.4 

2.55 

3.0 

3.0 

2.7 

2.5 

2.3 

2.15 

2.0 


1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
2.0 

1.9 
1.9 
1.8 
2.0 
2.3 

3.1 
2.8 
2.6 
2.7 
2.2 

2.1 
1.9 
1.9 
2.5 
2.3 

2.0 
1.9 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.6 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.6 

1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 

1.15 

1.1 

1.1 

1.2 

1.1 

1.9 
1.9 
1.7 
1.6 
1.4 

1.25 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 
1.4. 
1.3 


2.05 

2.35 

3.0 

2.1 

1.8 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.4 

1.3 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.2 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 

.9 
1.0 

.9 

.9 

.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 
1.0 

1.5 
1.5 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.25 
1.15 
1.1 
.95 
1.0 

.95 

.9 
1.0 

.9 
1.1 

1.3 
2.3 

2.7 
4 5 
3.7 

3.0 
2.6 
2.1 
1.9 

1.7 

1.55 

1.45 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 


0.9 
.9 

.8 
.8 
.8 

.8 
.7 
.8 
.9 
1.0 

.9 
.8 
.8 

.7 
.7 

.9 

.8 
.7 
.7 
.7 

.7 
.7 
.6 
.6 

.7 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 
1.5 
1.0 

1.3 
.1.25 
1.25 
1.2 
1.2 

1.3 
1.1 
1.0 
.9 

.85 

.8 

.8 

.8 

.75 

.75 

.7 

:L 

.65 
1.2 

.8 
1.0 
1.1 
1.4 

2.5 

2.8 
1.7 
1.5 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 


1.0 
.8 
.9 

1.3 
.9 

.8 
1.1 
1.0 
1.2 
1.0 

1.6 
.9 
.8 
.9 
.8 

.7 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.7 

.7 
.6 
.6 
.6 
.5 

.5 

.6 

.7 

.8 
1.0 
1.3 

1.15 
1.0 
1.05 
1.0 
.9 

.85 

.8 

.75 

.7 
.7 

.7 

.65 

.7 

.6 

.6 

.55 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.65 

.6 

.55 

.6 

.6 

.55 

.65 

.7 

.6 

.6 

.6 


1.1 
.9 
.9 

1.1 
.8 

.7 
.8 
.7 
.7 
.7 

.8 
1.2 
.9 
.8 
.8 

.7 
.7 
.6 
.6 
.8 

.9 

.9 
1.5 
1.1 
1.0 

.9 
.9 
.9 
.8 
.8 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 
.55 

.5 

■I 
.45 
.45 

.45 

.45 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.5 
.6 
.55 
1.1 
.8 

. 7 

.6 

.55 

.55 

.5 

.5 

.45 

.5 

.55 

.65 


0.8 
.7 
.7 
.7 

.7 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.8 
.8 

.7 
.8 
.7 
.7 
.7 

.6 
.6 
.6 
■ .6 
.6 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 

.5 
.6 
.6 
,6 
.6 
.7 

.6 
.7 

.7 
.7 
.6 

.55 

.5 

.5 

.75 

.6 

.55 

.5 
.5 
.7 
.9 

1.1 
.9 
.8 
.8 

.7 

.6 

.55 

.5 

.65 

.8 

2.1 
1.6 
1.25 
1.1 
.95 
.9 


1.55 

2.75 

3.2 

2.4 

1.9 

1.8 
1.6 
1.4 
1.3 
1.2 

1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
.9 

.9 
.9 
.8 
.9 
.8 

.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 

.85 

.85 

.8 

.8 

.8 

.8 
.8 
.8 
.9 
.9 

.9 

.85 

.9 

.85 

.8 

.8 

.8 

.8 

.75 

.75 

.75 

.7 

.7 

.65 

.65 

.6 
.65 
.7 
. 7 
.7 

1.1 

2.1 

45 

3.15 

2.45 


0.8 


2 


.8 


3 


.75 


4 


.7 


5 


.75 


6 


.7 


7 


.7 


8 . . . 


.7 


9 


.7 


10 


.7 


11 


.7 


12 


.75 


13 - - 


.9 


14 


2.9 


15 


2.2 


16 


1.9 


17 


1.6 


18 


1.4 


19 


1.3 


20 


1.2 


21 


1.2 


22 


1.1 


23 


1.1 


24 


1.1 


25 


1.3 


26 


1.2 


27 


1.7 


28 


1.4 


29 


1.65 


30 - 


1.1 


31 


1 1 


1900. 
1 


2.0 


2 


1.7 


3 


1.5 


4 


1.6 


5 


2.25 


6 


4 8 


7 


3.6 


8 


2.8 


9 


3.4 


10 


2.2 


11 


1.9 


12 


1.75 


13 


1.6 


14 


1.5 


15 


1.4 


16 


1 35 


17 


1.3 


18 


1.2 


19 


1 15 


20 


1.15 


21 


1 1 


22 

23 


1.0 
1 


24 


1 


25 


1.0 


26 


1 


27 


.95 


28 


9 


29 


9 


30 


.9 


31 


.9 



a Ice conditions January 1 to February 21, 1899. River frozen February 22 to March 9, 
ings taken. 
b Backwater from ice February 5-6, 1900. 



no read- 



lER 192—07- 



-10 



140 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, infect, of Shenanaoah River at Millville, W. Va. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1901. a 
1 


0.9 
.9 
.9 
.96 
.7 

.9 

.7 
.8 
.7 
.8 

.9 
2.1 
2.3 
3.5 
2.9 

2.4 
2.1 
1.9 
1.8 
1.4 

1.4 
1.5 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.5 
1.4 
1.2 

7.4 
5.3 
4.5 
40 
3.5 

3.25 

3.0 

2.85 

2.75 

2.6 

2.5 

2.4 

2.25 

2.4 

2.2 

2.1 

2.0 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

1.9 
3.2 
3.4 
2.9 
2.5 

2.3 
2.5 
3.6 
4.4 
3.6 
3.3 


1.5 
i.6 
1.1 
1.0 
1.2 

2.3 
1.6 
1.6 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
.9 
1.2 
1.3 
1.3 

1.5 
1.0 
.9 
.8 
.8 

.8 
.9 
.9 
.8 
.9 

.6 
.8 
.8 

3.1 

2.85 

3.0 

3.0 

2.8 

2.5 
2.8 
2.7 
2.2 
2.2 

2.1 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
2.1 

1.5 
1.9 
2.0 
2.0 
1.7 

1.0 
2.4 
45 
3.9 

4 7 

(1) 

{d) 

11.0 


0.7 
.7 
.7 
.75 
.75 

.75 

.8 

.7 

.8 

.8 

1.7 
7.3 
5.3 
3.9 
3.2 

2.75 
2.4 
2.2 
2.0 

1.8 

2.0 

2.2 

2.4 

2.55 

2.3 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.6 
2.4 
2.15 

14 5 
9.0 
7.2 
5.7 
5.0 

45 
42 
42 
5.5 

7.8 

8.0 
7.4 
7.2 
7.0 
6.0 

5.0 
5.2 
5.9 
5.0 
44 

4 1 
3.8 
3.5 
3.2 
3.1 

2.95 

2.8 

2.75 

3.0 

3.8 

3.9 


2.0 

1.95 

2.5 

47 

5.7 

46 
42 
4 15 
3.6 
3.2 

2.85 
2.6 
2.4 
3.0 
10.25 

9.6 
6.1 
4 9 
43 
46 

10.55 

n 

6.5 
6.3 

48 
43 
3.9 
3.5 
3.2 

3.75 

3.4 

3.2 

3.1 

2.9 

2.8 
2.6 
2.8 
6.0 
6.9 

7.2 
6.2 
5.6 
5.0 
44 

3.9 
3.6 
3.4 
3.2 
3.0 

2.8 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 


3.0 
2.8 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 

2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
5.5 

3.25 

42 

3.5 

3.0 

2.7 

2.5 
2.3 
2.25 
2.2 

2.15 

2.0 
2.5 
11.1 
8.4 
6.3 

6.0 
6.7 
6.2 
6.3 
5.6 
49 

2.2 

2.15 

2.2 

2.25 

2.1 

2.05 

2.0 

40 

2.7 

2.4 

2.1 

2.0 

2.0 

1.95 

1.9 

1.8 

1.7 

1.7 

1.75 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.65 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

2.2 

1.75 

1.6 

1.55 

1.6 


47 
4 2 
3.7 
3.35 
3.3 

3.6 
41 
49 
45 
3.7 

3.1 
2.8 
2.6 
3.5 
2.9 

6.8 
10.1 
6.7 
46 
3.9 

3.5 
5.7 
5.5 
3.8 
3.2 

2.9 
2.9 
3.1 
2.7 
3.0 

1 45 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

1.3 

1.3 

1.4 

1.25 

1.2 

1.2 

1.15 

1.1 

1.1 

1.0 

1.1 

1.2 
1.2 
1.1 
1.6 
1.4 

1.2 
1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.2 

1.2 

1.15 

1.1 

1.3 

1.4 


3.5 

2.7 
2.4 
2.2 
1.15 

2.0 
2.5 
2.6 
2.0 
1.9 

1.8 

1.86 

2.1 

3.0 

43 

6.8 
5.2 
42 
43 
3.9 

3.6 
3.2 
2.7 
2.4 
2.2 

2.0 

2.1 

1.85 

1.8 

1.8 

1.85 

1.3 
1.2 

1.16 

1.1 

1.05 

1.1 

1.1 

1.05 

1.05 

1.0 

.95 
.9 
.9 
.9 

.8 

.8 

.8 

.8 

.75 

.75 

.8 

.8 

.8 

.75 

.75 

.8 
1.0 

.9 
1.3 
1.3 
1.4 


1.8 

1.6 

1.5 

1.46 

1.4 

1.7 
2.1 
5.1 
3.8 
2.7 

2.2 
2.3 
3.1 
3.4 
2.6 

2.2 

2.75 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
1.9 
2.2 

2.1 
2.2 
2.5 
2.6 
2.3 
3.0 

.9 
1.6 
1.9 
1.7 
1.3 

1.2 
1.1 
1.05 
1.0 
.9 

.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 

.75 

'.7 

.86 

.8 

.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.75 

.75 

.7 

.7 

.7 

.65 

.66 


2.8 
3.3 
3.0 
2.8 
2.3 

2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.6 
1.6 

1.45 

1.5 

1.9 

1.6 

1.6 

1.6 

1.5 

1.5 

1.45 

1.4 

1.3 

1.26 

1.2 

1.2 

1.15 

1.15 

1.1 

1.1 

1.3 

5.3 

.65 

.65 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.65 

.6 

.55 

.6 

.56 

.56 

.55 

.5 

.6 

.55 

.56 
.5 
.5 
.5 

.55 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.55 

.66 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.66 
1.0 


3.7 
2.8 
2.4 
2.1 
1.8 

1.7 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 

1.4 

1.36 

1.35 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
LI 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

.9 

.85 
.8 
.7 
.9 

1.0 

.8 

.75 
1.1 
1.0 

.9 
1.0 
1.2 
1.75 
1.55 

1.3 

1.16 

1.0 

.96 

.9 

.85 

.8 

.75 

.7 
.7 

.7 

.65 

.9 

.85 

.8 

.8 


0.95 
.95 
.9 
.9 
.9 

.9 

.85 
.85 
.85 
.85 

.85 

.85 

.85 

.8 

.8 

.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 

.8 

.8 

1.0 

2.4 

2.7 

2.3 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.3 

.8 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.75 

.75 
.7 
. 7 
.7 
.65 

.65 
.6 

.65 

.7 

.65 

.6 

.66 

.8 

.8 

.9 

.8 

.9 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.2 
2.0 
2.5 
2.4 
2.1 


1.3 


2 


1.2 


3 


1.25 


4 


1. 5 


5 


1.7 


6 


1.8 


7 


1.9 


8 


1.8 


9 


1.7 


10 


1.7 


11 


1.7 


12 


1.7 


13 


2.0 


14 


2.0 


15 


7.35 


16 


10.5 


17 


6.2 


18 


47 


19 


3.8 


20 


3.2 


21 . . 


2.8 


22 


1.2 


23 


1.2 


24 


2.5 


25 . 


2.4 


26 


1.8 


27 


2.3 


28 


2.7 


29 


40 


30 


10.8 


31 


W 


1902. c 
1 


2.7 


2 


2.46 


3 


3.1 


4 


3.2 


5 


45 


6 


3.4 


7 


3.7 


8 


3.2 


9 


2.9 


10 


2.65 


11 


2.6 


12 


2.35 


13 


2.8 


14 


3.4 


15 


3.4 


Ifi 


3.4 


17 


44 


18 


4 3 


19 . . 


4 


20 


3.5 


21 


3.1 


22 . . 


2.9 


23 


2.7 


24 


2.5 


25 


2.3 


26 


2.2' 


27 


2.1 


28 


2.1 




2.1 


30 


1.9 


31 


1.8 



1 Water backed by ice during part of January and February, 1901. 
f> No reading: river out of banks .'Vpril 22 and December 31, 1901. 
cice conditions during part of February, 1902. 
d Flood; no observation February 26-27, 1902. 



STBEAM FLOW : SHENANDOAH BIVEK. 141 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. — Continued 



Day. 



Jau. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


2.5 


4.4 


4.6 


1.3 


1.2 


1.1 


0.9 


2.4 


3.8 


4.2 


1.35 


2.2 


1.1 


.9 


2.3 


3.2 


3.0 


1.3 


2.7 


1.1 


.9 


2.2 


2.5 


2.75 


1.5 


2.05 


1.05 


.9 


2.15 


2.2 


2.5 


1.6 


1.7 


1.05 


.95 


2.1 


2.0 


3.4 


1.9 


1.55 


1.0 


1.0 


2.1 


3.9 


4.65 


2.0 


1.45 


1.0 


.9. 


2.05 


9.2 


3.7 


1.7 


1.3 


1.8 


.9 


2.0 


6.5 


2.3 


1.5 


1.25 


2.1 


.9 


1.9 


8.9 


2.0 


1.55 


1.2 


2.0 


.9 


1.85 


4.9 


1.95 


1.4 


1.2 


1.8 


.9 


1.8 


4.6 


1.9 


1.4 


1.3 


1.65 


.9 


1.75 


4.0 


2.7 


1.35 


1.2 


1.55 


.9 


1.7 


4.3 


2.6 


1.3 


1.2 


1.5 


.85 


1.7 


3.6 


2.8 


1.3 


1.2 


1.4 


.85 


1.65 


3.1 


2.7 


1.25 


1.1 


1.3 


.85 


1.65 


2.8 


2.2 


1.25 


1.3 


1.3 


.9 


1.6 


2.6 


2.0 


1.2 


2.1 


1.25 


.9 


1.55 


2.4 


1.9 


1.5 


4.6 


1.2 


.85 


1.55 


2.1 


1.8 


1.45 


3.1 


1.2 


.85 


1.5 


2.0 


1.7 


1.3 


2.7 


1.2 


.85 


1.5 


2.0 


1.65 


1.25 


2.2 


1.15 


.85 


1.5 


1.9 


1.6 


1.2 


1.8 


1.1 


.8 


1.5 


1.9 


1.55 


1.1 


1.6 


1.05 


.8 


1.5 


1.85 


1.5 


1.05 


1.5 


1.0 


.8 


1.8 


1.8 


1.5 


1.0 


1.4 


1.0 


.8 


1.8 


2.65 


1.45 


.95 


1.3 


1.0 


.75 


1.7 


3.2 


1.35 


1.1 


1.25 


.95 


.7 


1.7 


5.2 


1.3 


1.8 


1.2 


.95 


.6 


1.85 


5.7 


1.25 


1.25 


1.15 


.95 


.6 


2.05 




1.25 


1.2 





.95 




3.3 


4.0 


1.5 


1.15 


.6 


.45 


.45 


3.3 


2.6 


1.4 


1.05 


.6 


.4 


.45 


2.7 


2.3 


1.3 


1.1 


.6 


.4 


.4 


2.4 


2.1 


1.2 


1.25 


.6 


.4 


.5 


2.15 


2.6 


1.1 


1.4 


.6 


.4 


.45 


2.1 


2.85 


1.2 


1.4 


.6 


.4 


.45 


1.95 


4.0 


1.15 


1.7 


.6 


.45 


.45 


2.0 


2.9 


1.3 


1.8 


.6 


.45 


.45 


2.0 


2.4 


1.25 


1.45 


.55 


.4 


.4 


2.3 


2.15 


1.35 


1.4 


.55 


.4 


.4 


2.5 


2.0 


5.6 


1.35 


.5 


.4 


.5 


2.45 


1.85 


3.7 


1.4 


.5 


.5 


.45 


2.3 


1.75 


2.8 


1.35 


.6 


.5 


.5 


2.05 


1.5 


2.1 


1.3 


.6 


.55 


.6 


1.9 


1.4 


1.75 


1.1 


V .9 


.5 


.6 


1.85 


1.35 


1.5 


1.05 


.9 


.5 


.5 


1.8 


1.4 


1.4 


1.0 


.8 


.5 


.5 


1.8 


1.65 


1.3 


1.0 


.75 


.5 


.5 


1.9 


1.4 


1.3 


.95 


.7 


.5 


.55 


2.3 


1.35 


1.2 


.9 


.65 


.45 


.5 


3.5 


1.6 


1.2 


.9 


.6 


.6 


.5 


2.95 


1.7 


1.2 


.85 


.65 


.6 


.5 


2.45 


1.9 


1.15 


.9 


.6 


.6 


.5 


2.15 


1.6 


1.1 


.8 


.55 


.55 


.5 


2.0 


1.45 


1.2 


.9 


.5 


.5 


.5 


1.95 


1.3 


1.3 


.8 


.5 


.5 


.45 


2.3 


1.2 


1.2 


.75 


.5 


.45 


.45 


1.95 


1.15 


1.1 


.7 


.5 


.4 


.45 


1.7 


1.1 


1.1 


.6 


.5 


.4 


.45 


1.7 


1.6 


1.25 


..55 


.45 


.4 


.45 


1.55 




1.1 


.6 




.4 





Dec. 



1903. 



1904.6 



1.7 
1.7 
6.1 
8.7 
5.9 

4.75 

4.0 

3.5 

3.1 

2.8 

2.7 
2.7 
2.2 
2.3 
2.0 

2.3 

2.2 

2.35 

2.3 

1.95 

2.2 
3.5 
6.0 
3.4 
2.8 

2.6 

2.3 

3.35 

6.9 

5.2 

4.5 



.85 
1.2 
1.2 
1.0 

1.0 
1.1 
1.1 
1.3 
1.2 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.1 
1.1 

1.3 
1.6 
2.3 
2.6 



4.0 
3.6 
3.3 
3.3 
3.8 

4.2 
3.7 
3.3 
2.7 
2.5 

2.3 
2.1 
2.3 
2.7 
2.6 

2.6 
3.3 
4.6 
4.1 
3.6 

3.4 
3.3 
3.0 
3.0 
3.2 

3.5 
3.5 
4.0 



7.2 
6.5 
5.0 
4.2 

3.8 

3.5 

3.25 

3.2 

3.6 

3.4 

3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.0 
2.95 

2.8 

2.7 

2.6 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
4.1 
7.3 
7.6 

5.7 
4.3 
3.8 
3.4 
3.4 
5.5 



2.3 
4.9 
3.5 

3.0 
2.5 
2.3 
2.0 
1.9 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.6 

1.5 

1.45 

1.5 

1.6 

1.6 

1.65 

1.8 

1.85 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 



6.4 
5.0 
4.4 
4.1 
3.9 

3.7 
3.5 
3.3 
3.3 
3.3 

3.2 
3.0 
3.1 
5.4 
7.8 



6.1 
5.0 
4.4 
3.9 

3.7 
3.6 
3.3 
3.1 

3.0 

2.9 

2.8 
2.7 
2.65 
2. .55 



1.8 

1.8 

1.75 

1.7 

1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.7 

2.45 
2.4 
2.2 
2.0 

1.75 

1.65 

1.6 

1.55 

1.45 

1.45 

1.3 

1.25 

1.2 

1.15 

1.1 

1.1 
1.3 
2.5 
4.3 
3.85 



0.7 
.7 
.7 
.65 
.6 

.6 
.6 
.55 



ol.l 
.5 

.7 



1.1 
1.0 
1.2 
1.4 

1.2 



.9 
1.0 



.45 

.45 

.5 

.5 

.5 

.55 

.5 

.5 

.5 

.5 

.85 

.5 

.65 

.65 

.75 



1.65 

1.8 

1.55 



1.15 
1.1 
1.3 
2.25 

1.2 
1.1 



a Backwater from ice December 16, 1903. b Backwater from ice during part of December, 1904. 



142 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. — Continued. 



Day. 



1905. 



Jan. 


Feb. 


1.0 


1.4 


.95 


1.2 


.85 


1.3 


1.4 


1.3 


1.6 


1.2 


1.55 


1.2 


2.1 


1.2 


2.8 


1.25 


2.5 


1.25 


2-0 


1.3 


1.8 


1.35 


1.5 


1.45 


2.0 


1.4 


2.6 


1.25 


2.9 


1.25 


2.5 


1.3 


2.0 


1.55 


2.0 


1.55 


2.0 


1.5 


1.7 


1.6 


1.6 


1.55 


1.5 


1.5 


1.4 


1.55 


1.3 


1.6 


1.6 


2.0 


1.6 


2.2 


1.85 


2.6 


1.6 


3.0 


1.5 




1.6 




1.5 




2.7 


2.3 


2.45 


2.2 


2.25 


2.0 


3.4 


6 2.4 


5.3 


2.0 


4.5 


1.95 


3.6 


1.9 


3.0 


1.8 


2.7 


1.6 


2.45 


1.6 


2.3 


1.75 


2.15 


1.5 


2.0 


1.45 


2.0 


1.3 


2.0 


1.35 


2.2 


1.3 


2.3 


1.3 


2.25 


1.2 


2.2 


1.2 


2.1 


1.2 


2.0 


1.2 


1.9 


1.2 


1.8 


1.2 


1.8 


1.2 


3.8 


1.15 


3.2 


1.1 


2.7 


1.1 


2.5 


1.1 


2.4 




2.4 




2.5 





Mar. 



3.35 

2.75 

2.7 

2.8 

2.8 

"4.1 
2.5 
2.5 
2.8 
3.7 

4.75 

4.3 

3.3 

3.2 

2.9 

2.6 
2.4 
2.3 

2.2 
2.1 

2.4 
2.7 
4.0 
3.4 
3.2 

3.6 
3.2 
2.9 
2.7 
2.5 
2.3 



1.1 
1.1 
1.2 
2.2 

2.5 

3.5 
2.9 
2.5 
2.3 
2.1 

2.0 
1.9 

1.75 

1.7 

1.7 

1.8 
1.9 
2.6 
2.7 
2.7 

2.7 
2.9 
3. 15 
3.1 
2.9 

2.9 
3.0 
4.8 
4.9 
4.6 
4.6 



Apr. 



2.2 

2.05 

1.9 

1.8 
1.8 

2.0 
2.45 
2.45 
2.3 

2.1 

2.0 

1.95 
1.9 

1.8 
1.7 

1.7 

1.65 

1.6 

1.5 
1.45 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.3 
1.3 



4.75 

4.2 

3.8 

3.4 

3.1 

2.9 
2.7 
2.6 
2.4 
2.45 

2.6 

2.6 

2.45 

2.3 

3.2 

4.7 
4.2 
3.6 
3.2 
2.95 

2.7 

2.5 

2.4 

2.25 

2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
3.4 
2.9 
2.5 



jJune. 



1.2 

1.15 

1.15 

1.1 

1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

.95 
.95 

1.0 
1.0 

1.0 

.95 

2.0 

2.0 
2.1 
2.3 

2.1 
1.8 

1.7 
1.5 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 

1.2 
.9 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.1 



2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
1.95 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

2.1 

2.05 

1.9 

1.85 

1.8 

1.7 

l.B 

1.55 

1.4 

1.35 

1.45 

1.4 

1.3 

1.2.5 
1 2 
1.2 
1.15 

1.1 
1.2 
1.3 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 



1.2 
1.2 
1.5 
1.2 
1.1 

1.0 

1.15 

2.0 

1.2 

1.0 

1.0 
1.1 



.75 
.75 

.7 
.7 

.7 

.9 
3.3 
3.2 
3.5 
5.9 

4.8 
3.5 
3.0 
2.5 
2.1 



1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.3 
1.2 

2.1 
1.3 



2.0 
2.6 
2.1 
3.8 
2.4 

2.7 
4.8 
3.7 
2.9 
2.5 

2.15 
2.4 
3.5 
3.25 

2.4 



July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


1.9 


2.1 


1.15 


0.6 


0.7 


1.75 


1.7 


1.0 


.55 


.7 


1.75 


1.4 


.95 


.5 


.65 


1.6 


1.3 


.9 


.5 


.65 


1.6 


1.2 


1.0 


.5 


.65 


1.6 


1.1 


1.05 


.5 


.65 


2.3 


1.1 


1.0 


.5 


.65 


2.1 


1.1 


1.0 


.5 


.65 


2.3 


1.1 


.95 


.5 


.65 


2.1 


1.05 


.8 


.5 


.65 


1.9 


1.05 


.8 


.5 


.6 


2.0 


1.0 


.85 


.55 


.6 


2.8 


.95 


.8 


.7 


.6 


2.6 


.95 


.8 


.7 


.6 


3.8 


1.1 


.8 


.7 


.6 


5.3 


1.1 


.75 


.7 


.6 


3.3 


3.2 


.8 


.65 


.6 


2.7 


2.3 


.8 


.65 


.6 


2.3 


1.9 


.85 


.65 


.55 


2.0 


1.5 


.8 


.65 


.55 


1.8 


1.4 


.8 


.6 


.6 


1.8 


1.3 


.8 


.6 


.6 


1.8 


1.2 


.8 


.6 


.6 


2.8 


1.1 


.8 


.6 


.6 


2.4 


1.1 


.75 


.6 


.6 


2.2 


1.9 


.6 


.65 


.6 


1.9 


2.1 


.6 


.8 


.6 


1.6 


1.8 


.6 


.9 


.6 


1.4 


1.5 


.55 


.85 


.6 


1.9 


1.25 


.55 


.85 


.6 


2.4 


1.1 




.85 




2.0 


1.3 


3.55 


1.45 


2.7 


1.8 


1.4 


3.8 


1.45 


2.5 


1.6 


1.8 


2.7 


1.4 


2.4 


1.3 


1.4 


2.2 


1.7 


2.3 


2.15 


2.5 


2.2 


2.5 


2.2 


1.7 


2.3 


2.0 


3.5 


2.1 


1.55 


2.1 


1.9 


3.1 


2.05 


1.6 


2.0 


1.8 


2.6 


2.0 


1.5 


2.2 


1.65 


2.3 


1.9 


1.35 


2.3 


1.6 


2.05 


1.85 


1.3 


2.0 


1.5 


1.8 


1.8 


1.3 


2.0 


1.5 


1.8 


1.8 


1.3 


3.0 


1.45 


1.65 


1.75 


1.3 


3.4 


1.9 


1.5 


1.75 


1.4 


3.8 


1.6 


1.4 


1.75 


1.3 


3.9 


1.5 


1.4 


1.7 


1.3 


3.2 


1.35 


1.4 


1.65 


1.3 


4.1 


1.3 


1.5 


1.6 


1.4 


3.35 


1.35 


4.1 


1.8 


1.5 


4.2 


1.3 


11.3 


2.25 


1.4 


3.9 


1.25 


12.8 


4.3 


1.3 


3.4 


1.2 


8.3 


3.8 


1.2 


3.3 


1.2 


6.5 


3.85 


2.0 


4.0 


1.2 


5.7 


2.9 


1.6 


4.5 


1.1 


4.9 


2.7 


1.5 


4.5 


1.25 


4.2 


2.7 


1.4 


3.8 


1.25 


3.8 


2.25 


1.4 


5.4 


1.25 


3.5 


2.15 


1.4 


4.7 


1.25 


3.2 


2.1 


1.5 


5.0 


1.35 


3.0 


2.0 


1.3 


4.2 




2.8 





a Backwater March 6, 1905. 



^Backwater from ice February 4, 1906. 



STEEAM FLOW : SHENANDOAH EIVEE. 



143 



Rating tables for Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. 

APRIL 15, 1895, TO FEBRUARY 6, 1897, AND MARCH 8, 1904, TO DECEMBER 31, 1906. o 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


0.30 


430 


2.30 


2,940 


4.60 


8,860 


8.40 


26,400 


.40 


480 


2.40 


3,130 


4.80 


9.540 


8.60 


27,700 


.50 


540 


2.50 


3,330 


5.00 


10,260 


8.80 


29,000 


.60 


610 


2.60 


3, 530 


5.20 


11,020 


9.00 


30,400 


.70 


690 


2.70 


3,730 


5.40 


11,780 


9.20 


31,800 


.80 


780 


2.80 


3,940 


5.60 


12, 580 


9.40 


33,200 


.90 


880 


2.90 


4,150 


5.80 


13,400 


9.60 


34,600 


1.00 


980 


3.00 


4,370 


6.00 


14,240 


9.80 


36,000 


1.10 


1,090 


3.10 


4,600 


6.20 


15. 120 


10.00 


37, 500 


1.20 


1,200 


3.20 


4,840 


6.40 


16,000 


11.00 


45, 100 


1.30 


1,320 


3.30 


5,080 


6.60 


16,920 


12.00 


53, 500 


1.40 


1,450 


3.40 


5,320 


6.80 


17,840 


13.00 


62, 700 


1.50 


1,580 


3.50 


5,570 


7.00 


18,800 


14.00 


72,700 


1.60 


1,720 


3.60 


5,830 


7.20 


19,780 


15.00 


83,200 


1.70 


1,870 


3.70 


6,100 


7.40 


20,780 


16.00 


94,300 


1.80 


2,030 


3.80 


6,380 


7.60 


21,820 


17.00 


105,900 


1.90 


2,200 


3.90 


6,670 


7.80 


22, 880 


18.00 


118,000 


2.00 


2,380 


4.00 


6,960 


8.00 


24,020 


19.00 


130,600 


2.10 


2,560 


4.20 


7,560 


8.20 


26, 200 


20.00 


143, 700 


2.20 


2,750 


4.40 


8,200 











FEBRUARY 10, 1897, TO JANUARY 24, 1904.6 



0.20 


470 


2.10 


2, 770 


4.00 


7,380 


6.80 


18,300 


.30 


520 


2.20 


2,960 


4.10 . 


7,700 


7.00 


19,220 


.40 


580 


2.30 


3,150 


4.20 


8,020 


7.20 


20, 140 


.50 


650 


2.40 


3,350 


4.30 


8,340 


7.40 


21,100 


.60 


730 


2.50 


3,560 


4.40 


8,680 


7.60 


22,060 


.70 


820 


2.60 


3,770 


4.50 


9,020 


7.80 


23,060 


.80 


910 


2.70 


3,990 


4.60 


9,360 


8.00 


24, 060 


.90 


1,010 


2.80 


4,210 


4.70 


9,700 


8.20 


25, 100 


1.00 


1,120 


2.90. 


4,440 


4.80 


10,060 


8.40 


26,200 


1.10 


1,230 


3.00 


4,670 


4.90 


10,420 


8.60 


27,300 


1.20 


1,350 


3.10 


4,910 


5.00 


10, 800 


8.80 


28, 500 


1.30 


1,480 


3.20 


5,150 


5.20 


11,560 


9.00 


29, 800 


1.40 


1,620 


3.30 


5,400 


5.40 


12, 320 


9.20 


31,200 


1.50 


1,760 


3.40 


5,650 


5.60 


13, 120 


9.40 


32, 700 


1.60 


1,910 


3.50 


5,910 


5.80 


13,940 


9.60 


34, 200 


1.70 


2,070 


3.60 


6,180 


6.00 


14, 780 


9.80 


35, 800 


1.80 


2,240 


3.70 


6,460 


6.20 


15,640 


10.00 


37,500 


1.90 


2,410 


3.80 


6,760 


6.40 


16, 520 






2.00 


2,590 


3.90 


7,060 


6.60 


17,400 







a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on 14 discharge meas- 
urements made during 1895 and 1904. It is well defined between gage heights 0.4 feet and 5.2 feet. Esti- 
mates above 5.0 feet are based on a discharge curve which is the product of a well-defined area curve 
and a fairly accurate extension of the velocity curve. The discharge curves 1895-1906 are the same above 
gage height 10.0 feet. 

Th s table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on 14 discharge meas- 
ments made during 1897-1903. It is well defined between gage heights 0.5 foot and 5.0 leet. The 
discharge curves 1895-1906 are the same above gage height, 10.0 feet. 



144 



THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of Shenandoah River at MUlviUe, W . Va. 
[Drainage area, 3,000 square miles.i] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



Minimum. 



Mean. 



Run-off. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



Depth 
in inches 



Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 



Precipitation. 



In 

inches. 



1895. 

January 

February... 

March 

April 15-30- 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November... 
December 



The year. 

1896. 

January 

February 

March 

April 



June 

July 

August 

September. 
October c.. 
November. 
December.. 



The year. 



1897. 

January <* 

February (25 days) 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July/ 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December d 



The year. 



January 

Februarys. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July* 

August i 

September.. 

October 

November.. 
December.. 



The year. 



4,600 

20, 780 

3,130 

7,260 

1,580 

1,320 

610 

690 

1,450 



11,400 
12,580 
12, 180 
8,860 
4,370 
3,940 
9,030 
1,870 
13, 190 
139,700 
4,840 
6,380 



139, 700 



1,720 
37,870 
6,760 
3,350 
30, 620 
2,410 
3,770 
1,760 
1,350 
1,010 
1,620 
3,990 



6,180 
2,770 
5,650 

13, 120 

29, 150 
2,410 
3,770 

50,900 
1,835 

30,500 
4,210 

14,780 



50,900 



1,870 
2,560 



540 
610 



540 
610 



2,904 

5,570 

1,613 

1,880 

806 

722 

537 

621 

754 



0.970 
1.86 
.539 
.628 
.269 
.241 
.179 
.207 
.252 



0.576 
2.14 
.601 
.724 
.310 
.269 
.206 
.231 
.290 



1,450 

1,450 

1,450 

1,090 

780 

1,320 

780 

540 



1,450 



2,434 
3,709 
3,842 
2,807 
.2,127 
2,056 
2,858 
1,150 
1,042 
7,768 
1,835 
2,296 



.813 
1.24 
1.28 
.937 
.710 
.686 
.954 
.384 
.348 
2.59 
.613 
.767 



.937 
1.34 
1.48 
1.05 
.819 
.765 
1.10 
.443 
.388 
2.99 



540 



2,827 



.944 



12.88 



1,090 

2,590 

1,620 

1,760 

1,010 

910 

730 

580 

550 

650 

820 



1,220 

11,680 

4,946 

2,671 

6,243 

1,632 

1,426 

987 

664 

692 

859 

1,619 



.407 
3.90 
1.65 
.892 
2.08 
.545 
.476 
.330 
.222 
.231 
.287 
.541 



3.63 
1.90 
.995 
2.40 
.608 
.549 
.380 
.248 
.266 
.320 
.624 



1,010 
1,010 
1,010 
2,070 
2,070 
1,120 
820 
1,350 
1,120 
1,010 
2,070 
2,410 



2,435 
1,612 
2,227 
4,353 
5,711 
1,647 
1,249 
8,164 
1,360 
5,684 
2,827 
4,498 



.813 
.538 
.744 

1.45 

1.91 
.550 
.417 

2.73 
.454 

1.90 
.944 

1.50 



.937 
.560 
.858 
1.62 
2.20 
.614 
.481 
3.15 
.506 
2.19 
1.05 
1.73 



820 



3,481 



1.16 



15.90 



5.54 
1.34 
2.73 
i'3.78 
3.28 
4.14 
4.44 
1.82 
.66 
1.06 
1.57 
3.09 



33.45 



38 
35 
35 
85 
36 
13 
18 
14 
5 

623 
16 

383 



2.49 
3.78 
4.25 
1.24 
2.28 
5.71 
6.21 
3.20 
7.22 

.48 
4.16 

.23 



41.25 



33 



4.41 
«6.28 
2.34 
1.90 
5.13 
3.18 
4.14 
1.41 
1.01 
2.59 
2.59 
3.51 



35.49 



3.05 
.75 
3.73 
2.66 
5.21 
2.86 
4.18 
7.73 
1.97 
7.10 
1.79 
3.13 



36 44. 16 



o3,000 square miles used to obtain run-off for 1906; 2,995 used for all other years. 

6 Precipitation for complete month, April, 1895. 

c Estimates October 1-2, 1896, approximate. 

<i Ice conditions during January and December 24-31, 1897. No correction made in estimates. 

< Precipitation for whole month, February, 1897. 

/ Estimate July 11. 1897. interpolated. 

s Ice conditions during February, 1898. No correction made in estimates. 

A Estimate July 2, 1898, interpolated. 

» Gage height August 11, 1898, estimated. Discharge approximate. 



Stream flow : shenandoah river. 145 

Eslimated monthly discharge of Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. — Continued. 



Month. 



1899. 

Januarys 

February 1-21 a b 

March 10-31 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 



The year. 



1900. 

January 

February d. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. 

October 

November. 
December.. 



The year. 



1901. 
January '... 
February « . . 

March 

April/ 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November . . 
December/. 



The year . . . 

1902. 

January 

February 9 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year . 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



17,840 
7,380 

12,720 
4,910 
4,910 
4,670 
1,760 
1,910 
1,760 
910 
5,150 
4,440 



14, 780 
14, 360 
16, 960 
4,670 
2,410 
9,020 
4,210 
1,290 
1,230 
2,770 
9,020 
10,060 



16,960 



5.910 
3,150 
20, 620 
50,000 
45, rf20 
38,240 
13,940 
11,180 
11,940 
6.460 
3,990 
60,000 



50,000 



21,100 

50,000 

77,900 

20,140 

7,. 380 

1,910 

1,620 

2.410 

1,120 

2.155 

3,560 

9,020 



77,900 



Minimum. 



2,770 

2,070 

4,440 

2,070 

1,480 

1,010 

730 

650 

730 

650 

910 

820 



1,230 

1,350 

2,590 

1,835 

1,230 

1,010 

775 

690 

580 

650 

730 

1,010 



580 



820 

730 

820. 

2,500 

2,590 

3,770 

1,290 

1,620 

1,230 

1,120 

910 

1,350 



730 



2,240 

1,120 

4,100 

2,960 

1,760 

1,120 

865 

775 

650 

775 

730 

2,240 



650 



Mean. 



5,116 

3,675 

7,065 

3,289 

2,533 

1,607 

877 

992 

989 

785 

1,403 

1,398 



2,970 

3,833 

5,866 

2,803 

1,689 

2,249 

1,374 

829 

696 

947 

1,453 

2,232 



2,245 



1,812 
1,315 
3,376 
12,840 
8,704 
8,225 
4,437 
3,528 
2,496 
1,769 
1,.341 
8,124 



4,831 



5,176 
8.611 
13,880 
6,785 
2,606 
1.402 
1,097 
1,062 
724 
1,069 
1,157 
4,728 



4,025 



Run-off. 



[Second 

feet per 

square 

mile. 



1.71 
1.23 
2.36 
1.10 
.846 
.537 
.293 
.331 
.330 
.262 
.468 
.467 



.992 
1.28 
1.96 
.936 
.564 
.751 
.459 
.277 
.232 
.316 
.485 
.745 



.750 



.605 
.439 
1.13 
4.29 
2.91 
2.75 
1.48 
1.18 
.833 
.591 
.448 
2.71 



1.61 



1.73 
2.88 
4.63 
2.27 
.870 
.468 
.366 
.355 
.242 
.357 
.386 
1.58 



1.34 



Depth 
In inches. 



1.97 
.960 
1.93 
1.23 
.975 
.599 
.338 
.382 
.368 
.302 
.522 
.538 



1.14 
1.33 
2.26 
1.04 
.650 
.838 
.529 
.319 
.259 
.364 
.541 
.859 



10.13 



.457 
1.30 
4.79 
3.36 
3.07 
1.71 
1.36 
.929 
.681 
.500 
3.12 



21.98 



1.99 
3.00 
5.34 
2.53 
1.00 
.522 
.422 
.409 
.270 
.412 
.431 
1.82 



18.15 



Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 



106 
20 
29 
14 
10 
10 
13 
64 
40 



27 



30 
139 
34 
77 
58 
41 
39 
23 
25 
99 
25 
51 



45 



74 
67 
148 
113 
38 
18 
19 
18 
10 
11 
13 
54 



51 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



2.52 

<:4. 95 

c5. 12 

1.16 

4.95 

2.09 

2.51 

3.94 

3.78 

2.34 

.81 

1.34 



35.51 



2.57 
3.73 
3.72 
1.89 
2.42 
5.98 
3.76 
1.93 
3.14 
3.19 
2.94 
1.83 



37.10 



2.31 
.33 
3.80 
6.24 
5.82 
7.54 
4.38 
5.92 
3.78 
.69 
2.01 
6.12 



48.94 



2.69 
4.46 
3.61 
2.23 
2.64 
2.93 
2.17 
2.22 
2.59 
3.65 
3.21 
3.38 



35.78 



Loss 

of, in 

inches. 



0.55 



— .07 
3.97 
1.49 
2.17 
3.56 
3.41 
2.04 
.29 



1.43 
2.40 
1.46 

.85 
1.77 
5.14 
3.23 
1.61 
2.88 
2.83 
2.40 

.97 



26.97 



1.61 
- .13 
2.50 
1.45 
2.46 
4.47 
2.67 
4.56 
2.85 
.01 
1.51 
3.00 



26.96 



.70 
1.46 
—1.73 
— .30 
1.64 
2.41 
1.75 
1.81 
2.32 
3.24 
2.78 
1.56 



17.63 



" Ice conditions during January and February, 1899. No correction made in estimates. 

b Estimates February 12-13, 1899. interpolated. 

<: Precipitation for complete months, February and March, 1899. 

d Backwater from ice February 5-6, 1900. Discharge corrected. 

e Slight backwater from ice during part of January and February, 1901; no correction made in esti- 
mates. 

/ April 22 and December 31, 1901, river out of banks; discharge estimated 50,000 second-feet. 

9 Ice conditions during part of February, 1902; no correction made in estimates. February 26-27, 1902, 
river out of banks; discharge estimated 50,000 second-feet. 



146 



THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of. Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va. — Continued. 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



Minimum. 



Mean. 



Run-oflE. 



Precipitation. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



Depth 
in inches 



Per cent i 
of pre- j In 
cipita- ' inches, 
tion. 1 



Loss 
of, in 
inches. 



1903. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November. . 
December a . , 



27,900 
9,360 

22,060 

23,060 
3,560 

31,200 
9,530 
2,590 
9,360 
2,770 
1,120 
1,620 



The year . 

1904. 
January 1 to 24. 

February 

March 8 to 31... 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December": 



31,200 



3,770 



9,900 

7,880 

5,570 

6,960 

12,580 

2,030 

880 

610 

610 

2,845 



The year . 



. 1905. 

January 

February... 

March d 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November. . 
December... 



4,150 

4,370 

9,. 370 

3,230 

2,940 

13,820 

11,400 

4,840 

1,145 

880 

690 

11,400 



The year . 



1906. 

January 

February c.. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September.. 

October 

November. . 
December.. 



13,820 



11, 400 
2,940 
9,900 
9,370 
2,940 
9,540 
2,655 

11,780 
6,380 

60,820 
7,880 
8,520 



The year. 



60,820 



2,070 
2,770 
3,560 
3,665 
1,760 
2,240 
1,415 
1,065 
1,230 
1,065 
730 
050 



5,448 
7,907 
7,880 
2,321 
7,448 
3,453 
1,590 
2,249 
1,454 
961 
927 



■650 



4,037 



910 



1,428 



1,515 
1,090 
1,650 
1,090 
1,090 
575 
510 



510 



2,546 

2,191 

2,779 

2,430 

1,930 

1,096 

620 

521 

528 

.780 



830 

1,200 

2,560 

1,200 

880 

690 

1,450 

'930 

575 

540 

575 

610 



2,065 

1,684 

4,387 

1,945 

1,382 

2,552 

2,994 

1,557 

810 

640 

624 

2,336 



540 



1,915 



2,030 
1,090 
1,090 
2,380 
1,090 
1,200 
1,200 
1,320 
1,090 
1,450 
1,720 
1,450 



3,719 
1,643 

3,888 
4,464 
1,803 
2,895 
1,578 
5,220 
1,980 
8,248 
3,021 
3,052 



1,090 



3,459 



2.27 
1.82 
2.64 
2.63 
.775 
2.49 
1.15 
.531 
.751 
.485 
.321 
.310 



2.62 
1.90 
3.04 
2.93 
.894 
2.78 
1.33 
.612 
.838 
.559 
.358 
.357 



1.35 



.477 



8.50 


.759 


732 


.817 


928 


1.07 


811 


.905 


644 


.742 


366 


.422 


207 


,231 


174 


.201 


176 


.196 


260 


.300 



1.15 



18.22 



.426 



.689 


.794 


.,562 


.585 


.46 


1.68 


.649 


.724 


.461 


.531 


.852 


.950 


1.00 


1.15 


.520 


.600 


.270 


.301 


.214 


.247 


.208 


.232 


.780 


.899 



1.24 


1.43 


.548 


.571 


1.30 


1.50 


1.49 


1.66 


.601 


.693 


.965 


1.08 


.527 


.608 


1.74 


2.01 


.660 


.736 


2.75 


3.17 


1.01 


1.13 


1.02 


1.18 



15.77 



4.08 
3.49 
4.15 
3.62 
2.69 
7.63 
3.06 
3.53 
2.42 
2.39 
.82 



47 



38.84 



61.80 
1.26 

6 2.08 
2.64 
3.43 
5.57 
5.04 
2.53 
1.95 
1.20 
.95 
2.46 



30.91 



28 


2.86 


27 


2.14 


69 


2.44 


38 


1.90 


14 


3.93 


17 


5.50 


19 


5.98 


19 


3.19 


18 


1.65 


9 


2.84 


26 


.90 


24 


3.82 



23 



37.15 



a Backwater December 16, 1903, discharge corrected. 

b Precipitation lor complete months. January and March, 1904. 

c Backwater during part of December, 1904, discharge corrected. 

d Backwater March 6, 1905; discharge corrected. 

« Backwater February 4, 1906; discharge corrected. 



STBEAM flow: SHENANDOAH RIVEE BASIN. 



147 



The following table gives the horsepower, 80 per cent efficiency per 
foot of fall, that may be developed at different rates of discharge, and 
shows the number of days on which the flow and the corresponding 
horsepower were respectively less than, the amounts given in the col- 
umns for "discharge" and "horsepower." 

Discharge and horsepower table far Shenandoah River at Millville, W. Va.,far 1895 to 

1906. 



Dis- 
charge 

in 
second- 
feet. 


Horse- 
power, 
80 per 

cent 
efficiency, 
per foot 

fall. 


Days of deficient flow. 


a 1895. 


1896. 


1897. 


1898. 


1899. 


1900. 


1901. 


1902. 


1903. 


1904. 


1905. 


1906. 


495 

550 

660 

770 

880 

990 

1,100 

1,320 

1,540 

1,760 


45 
50 
60 
70 
80 
90 
100 
120 
140 
160 




















15 
73 
106 
114 
122 
133 
147 
180 
215 
234 






33 

98 
118 
125 
154 
160 
166 
185 
192 


4 
24 

26 
34 
75 
82 
89 
130 
192 
















^ 9 
60 
73 
101 
137 
155 
180 
208 
238 


7 

36 
85 
116 


50 
67 
85 
107 
146 
179 
210 
220 


n 

32 
91 
116 
143 


3 

29 
70 
112 
141 
167 
184 
194 


20 
54 
89 
109 
128 
161 
202 
219 


...... 

11 
38 
55 
78 
104 
120 


5 
26 
63 
97 
112 
145 
167 
174 


1 
8 
19 
37 
59 
82 
118 
129 



a April 15 to December 31, 1895. 

Note.— The minimum flow during the period covered by the above table was 480 second-feet, giving 
44 horsepower per foot of fall, for fifteen days during October and November, 1904. 

MISCELLANEOUS DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS IN SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN BELOW 
NORTH AND SOUTH FORKS. 

The followdng miscellaneous discharge measurements have been 
made in the basin of Shenandoah River below the junction of North 
and South forks. 



Miscellaneous discharge measurements in Shenandoah River basin below North and 

South Jorks. 



Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width. 


Area of 
section. 


Mean 
veloc- 
ity. 


Dis- 
charge. 


1897. 

October 7 

October 9. . . 


AVappan Run 

Stonebridge Run 

Parker Creek 


Near mouth near Linden, Va . 
Near Milldale, Va 


Feet. 
5 


Square 
feet. 
1.4 


Feet 

per sec. 

0.79 


Second- 
feet. 

a 1.1 
l>3 


Do 


Near Millwood. Va 








4 


October 8 


Crystal Run 


Near Berryville, Va 








1-3 


October 2 


BuUskin Run. 


At Johnson's factory, at 
mouth near Kabletown, 
W. Va. 

At bridge near mouth near 
Charles Town, W. Va. 

Near Millville, W. Va 

Harpers Ferry, W. Va 


8 

16 
6 


12 

13 
7.2 

467 


.62 

.92 
.63 

2.61 


c7. 5 


October 1 


Evitt Run 


12 


October 25 


Flowing Run 


4 5 


1894. 
July 6 . 


Shenandoah River . . . 


1 218 











oLow discharge; it may be due to storage of water at dam above. 
b Stonebridge Run and Crystal Run fed by large springs. 
Water considered very low. 



148 THE POTOMAC PJVER BASm. 

POTOaiAC RIVER BA^IK BELOW SHEISTANDOAH RITER. 

POTOMAC RIVER AT POINT OF ROCES, MD. 

This station was established by C. C. Babb February 17, 1895. It 
is located at the steel highway bridge at Point of Rocks, Md. 

The channel is straight for 500 feet above and 200 feet below the 
station. It is 1,300 feet wide, broken by seven bridge piers. Both 
banks overflow only at extremely high water, and are not wooded. In 
the two right spans the bed is composed of mud, and is subject to 
some change; in the other spans the bed is composed of gravel and 
cobblestones and is permanent. The current does not flow at right 
angles wdth the bridge in all of the spans. 

Discharge measurements are made from the eight-span steel toll 
bridge, to which the gage is attached. The initial point for soundings 
is the left end of the lower guard rail, 0.4 foot beyond the center of 
the end pin, on the downstream side of the bridge. 

As original^ placed the gage was located in the third span of the 
bridge from the left bank. The length of the wire from the end of the 
weight to the marker was 48.0 feet. The zero of the gage was 40.9 
feet below bench mark No. 1, described below. June 18, 1896, a 
new wire gage was placed on the lower side of the first span of the 
bridge. The zero of the gage was changed to 41.3 feet below bench 
mark No. 1, the wire length being 44.19 feet. During 1896 and 1897 
the wire became rusted and broke frequently; the changes in wire 
length were not recorded. January 25, 1898, a new wire was put in, 
the length being 44.22 feet, and this length has been maintained since 
that date, the datum elevation continuing at 41.3 feet below bench 
mark No. 1. 

During the period between the measurements of April 16 and July 
29, 1901, a large quantity of earth excavated from the canal was 
thrown into the river along its left bank, changing the section and 
possibly affecting the flow of the river. The shifting of this material 
necessitated moving the gage farther from the shore. This was done 
by the observer, who attempted to install a temporary gage to read 
the same as the old one. The indications are, however, that the gage 
was not set to read exactly the same, and the gage heights between 
April 16, 1901, and September 2, 1902, are somewhat in error. 

A standard chain gage was installed at this station September 2, 
1902. It is bolted to the hand rail on the lower side of the bridge on 
the fu-st span from the left bank. The length of the chain is 44.22 
feet, the same length as had been previously used. In placing the 
box, however, the gage datum was lowered 0.45 foot, making eleva- 
tion of the bench mark above gage datum 41.75 feet, instead of 41.3 
feet. The gage is read once each day by George H. Hickman. Bench 
mark No. 1, established November 16, 1896, is a copper bolt in a large 



STEEAM FLOW : POTOMaC KIVER. 149 

capstone on the lower wing wall of the north abutment, about 10 feet 
from the north end of the first iron truss and 41.75 feet above the 
datum of the gage. 

All estimates published in Progress Reports prior to 1905 have been 
revised. Estimates do not include the discharge of the Chesapeake 
and Ohio Canal, which forms an appreciable percentage of the total 
flow of the river at low stages. Uncertain length of gage wire or 
chain and ice conditions are the chief sources of error at this station. 
Two rating curves are necessary on account of the change in gage 
datum made September 2, 1902. For normal conditions of flow and 
correct wire or chain length the estimates as published below are 
probably within 5 per cent of the true discharge of the river section. 

For the period January 1 to June 17, 1896, when the gage-height 
records are in doubt, a comparison of the Point of Rocks estiraates 
was made with the Cumberland, Springfield, and Millville estimates. 
This comparison seems to indicate that the Point of Rocks estimates 
for this period may be as much as 20 per cent too low. 

During 1897 the gage- wire length was greatly in error. The 
proper correction to be applied to the gage heights was determined 
by the amount that the discharge measurements of that year plotted 
above or below the rating curve. A comparison of the Point of 
Rocks estimates with the Cumberland and Millville estimates indi- 
cates that the former are well within 10 per cent of the true discharge 
for 1897. 

It is believed that estimates from April 16 to December 31, 1901, can 
be considered within 10 per cent of the correct discharge. Although 
the difference between the gage zero and the datum plane was not 
known with certainty, it is believed to have been very small, because 
the measurements for that period plot on the first rating curve, and 
because the hydrographer's and the observer's gage-height observa- 
tions on the dates of the measurements agree. 

It is believed that the second rating curve, which is applied after 
March 31, 1902, gives estimates correctly within 10 per cent from 
June 22 to September 1, 1902, because the measurement of June 22 
plots on this rating curve and the gage height agrees with the observer's 
gage height. There are no data available, however, for determining 
the exact date on which the change should be made from the first to 
the second rating curve. The date was arbitrarily chosen as April 1, 
1902, which is about halfway between the measurements of December 
27, 1901, and June 22, 1902. It should be noticed that during the 
two most doubtful months — March and April — much high water 
exists, and hence the percentage error during those months is not 
large. But if the date for changing rating tables was not chosen cor- 
rectly there is liability of errors from 15 to 40 per cent during the 
remainder of the doubtful period. 



150 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



A summary of the records furnishes the following discharge data: 
Maximum discharge for 'twenty-four hours, 218,700 second-feet; 
minimum discharge for twenty-four hours, 900 second-feet; mean 
annual discharge, 1897 to 1906, inclusive, 10,575 second-feet; mean 
annual rainfall for eleven years, 36.21 inches. 

Discharge measurements of Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md. 



Date. 



1895. 

March 25 

April 5 

April 13 

April 23 

May 1 

May 7 

May 17 

May 28 

June 3 

June 17 

July 10 

Noveml:)er 6 

1896. 

June 23 

August 4 

Noveml^er 16 

1897. 

February 9 

February 23 c . . . 

March 8 

March 27 

July 23 

October 29 

April 12 

1898. 

January 25 

August 19 

October 3 

1899. 

January 28 

May 20 

September 5 

October 29 



Gage 


height .o 


Feet. 


3.05 


3.42 


4.27 


2.10 


4.35 


3.10 


2.35 


2.45 


1.53 


1.30 


1.50 


.40 


1.82 


1.86 


1.60 

i'7.95 

621. 70 

5.70 


4.05 


62.85 
6.20 


65.00 


6.50 


3.30 


.65 


3.80 


8.15 


.80 


.50 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 

10,520 

14,030 

17, 520 

7,371 

21,070 

12,480 

8,918 

9,189 

4,536 

4,233 

4,695 

1,202 



6,462 
7,057 
6,109 



40,650 
154, 800 

27, 380 

17, 120 
8,130 
2,141 

20,620 



33,340 

14, 310 

1,939 



17,330 

45,990 

2,360 

1,628 



Date. 



1900. 

June 28 

Oetol3er2(i 

September 19.. 

1901. 

April 16 

July 29 

December 27 . . . 

1902. 

June 22 

September 2... 

1903. 

March 12 

AprU17 

Do 

April 18 

September 14 . . 
November 9 

1904. 
July 11 

1905. 

March 13 

June 20 

October 30 

November 9 

Do 

1906. 

May 30 

Dec. 7 



Gage 
height .o 



Feet. 
1.50 
.30 
6.30 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
5,212 
1,259 
2,277 



14.30 


100,800 


1.85 


6,530 


2.89 


11,410 


1.25 


2,921 


.87 


1,717 


4.84 


18,880 


13.70 


86,420 


13.10 


80,520 


9.60 


54,080 


1.50 


3,770 


1.12 


2,140 



3.87 



6.56 
1.29 
2.05 
1.20 
1.20 



1.70 
1.76 



13,750 



28,640 
2,997 
4,889 
2, 531 
2,467 



3,892 
4,450 



a All gage heights refer to datum 41.30 leet below bench mark No. 1, 1895 to 1901, inch)sivc, and 41.75 
feet below the same bench mark, 1902 to 1906. 
6 Gage height inaccurate, 
c Measurement recomputed, 1905. 
d Measurement made by wading. 

Discharge measurements of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal at Point of Rocks, Md. 



Date. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


1905. 
October 30 


Feet. 
(121.51 
21.51 


Second-feet. 
78.8 




90.0 







a Elevation of water surface of canal above Potomac River gage datum determined with a level. 



STREAM flow: POTOMAC EIVEE. 
Daily gage height, infect, of Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md. 



151 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1895. 
1 






6.1 
9.7 
10.6 
9.6 

7.1 

5.6 
4.8 
4.3 
4.1 
4.1 

4.0 
3.6 
3.6 
3.6 
4.7 

5.9 
8.1 
6.9 
5.4 
4.9 

4.1 
3.8 
3.4 
3.2 
3.0 

2.9 
3.0 
3.8 
3.2 
4.3 
3.5 


3.1 
3.0 
2.9 
3.6 
3.5 

3.0 
2.7 
2.6 
3.0 
10.8 

7.9 
5.8 
4.5 
3.8 
3.5 

3.4 
3.3 
3.0 
2.7 
2.6 

2.4 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
2.2 


3.3 

5.9 
5.8 
5.4 
4.4 

3.7 
3.1 
2.7 
2.7 
2.8 

2.8 
2.7 
2.7 
2.8 
3.0 

2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.4 

2.3 
2.4 
2.8 
3.8 
3.3 

2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.2 
2.0 


1.8 
1.7 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.2 
.8 
1.3 
1.2 

1.1 
1.1 
1.2 
1.2 
1.5 

1.3 
1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 

.9 
1.0 
1.0 

.9 

.8 

.8 
1.2 
2.1 
1.6 
1.5 

1.1 
.8 
.6 
.5 
.4 

.3 

.6 

.6 

1.6 

2.0 

2.2 

1.7 
1.4 
1.1 
1.0 

1.1 
1.2 
3.4 
3.2 

2.7 

2.2 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.6 

1.7 
1.9 
2.3 
2.0 
1.8 


2.0 
2.7 
2.3 
2.1 
1.9 

1.7 
1.5 
1.5 
1.7 
1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.3 
1.2 
1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.1 
1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.1 

.9 

.9 

1.0 
1.2 
1.3 
1.2 
1.1 
1.1 

1.6 
1.4 
1.2 
1.1 
1.0 

1.3 
1.2 
1.6 
1.9 
2.5 

4.0 
3.8 
2.7 
2.3 
2.3 

1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.2 
1.1 
1.2 
1.6 
3.3 

8.7 
6.0 
3.3 
2.7 
2.8 
2.4 


1.0 
.9 
.8 
.8 
.9 

.8 

.8 

.8 

1.1 

1.0 

.9 

.8 
.8 
.7 
.7 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 

.6 
.5 
.5 
.5 
.4 

.4 
.4 
.4 
.4 
.5 
.5 

2.0 
2.2 
2.5 
2.0 
1.8 

1.6 
1.4 
1.2 
1.1 
1.2 

1.1 
1.0 
I.O 
1.1 
1.1 

1.1 

1.2 

1.0 

.8 

.7 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 

.5 
.5 
.5 
.6 
.6 
.5 


0.6 
.7 
.9 
.7 
.6 

.6 
.6 
.5 
.5 
.6 

.5 
.5 
.5 
.5 
.5 

.5 
.4 
.4 
.5 
.5 

.4 
.4 
.4 
.5 
.5 

.4 
.4 
.4 
.3 
.3 

.5 
.5 
.4 
.4 
.4 

.5 
.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 

.4 
.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 

.8 
.5 
.4 
.4 

.7 

.4 
.5 
.4 
.4 
.3 

.4 
.4 
.3 
.4 
5.3 


0.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 

.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 
•3 

.3 
.4 
.2 
.2 
.3 

.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 

.2 
.2 
.2 
.3 
.3 

.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 
.3 

21.85 
12.05 
6.3 
4.0 
3.0 

2,4 
2.1 
1.8 
1.5 
1.3 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

.9 

.9 

■ .8 
.8 
.8 
.7 
.7 

.9 
1.0 
.9 
.9 
.8 
.8 


0.4 
.4 
.3 
.3 
.3 

.4 
.3 
.3 
.4 
.4 

.4 
.5 
.4 
.4 
.4 

.4 
.4 
.4 
.4 
.4 

.4 
.4 
.4 
.4 
.4 

.4 
.4 
.5 
.5 
.4 

.8 
.8 
.7 
.7 
.8 

6.0 
6.0 
5.1 
3.8 
3.0 

2.5 
2.2 
1.9 
1.7 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.3 
1.2 
1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
.9 

.9 

.9 

1.0 

1.0 

1.2 


0.4 


2 




.5 


3 . ...! 




.5 


4 




.5 


5 






.5 


6 






.6 


7 






8 


8 . ...i 




8 


9 




Q 


10 - - 




5 


11 








12 






5 


13 






6 


14 




1 6 


15 ... 




6 


16 ■ ! 




5 


17 . 1 


1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.7 
1.8 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.1 
2.9 
3.6 


4 


18 


4 


19 




3 


20 




3 


21 




3 


22 




6 


23 




g 


24 




1 3 


25 




1 3 


26 




1 2 


27 




1 3 


28 




1 4 


29 




9 


30 


1 


9 


31 






1 3 


' 1896.a 
1 


1.3 
1.2 
1.3 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.3 
].3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.0 
.8 
.7 
.6 
.5 

.5 
.5 
.4 
.3 
.3 

•3 

.5 

.6 

2.3 

5.1 

4.8 
3.7 
2.9 
2.1 
1.6 
1.4 


1.3 

1.2 
1.3 
1.8 
2.8 

3.5 
7.0 
7.0 
5.0 
3.8 

2.9 
2.8 
2.4 
2.3 
2.7 

3.9 
3.5 
2.9 
2.3 
1.3 

.5 
1.1 
1.5 
1.5 
1.6 

1.4 
1.3 
1.2 
1.8 


2 


2 








3 


3 










4 






. 


9 ? 


5 








2 


6 










7 








1 7 


8 








1.7 


9 








10 








1.5 

1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.5 
1.4 

1.3 
1.2 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1 


11 






0.8 
.7 
.6 
.6 
.5 

1.6 

1.1 

1.0 

.8 

.6 

.6 

i:^ 

1.0 
.9 

.8 
.7 
.6 
.8 
1.0 
1.6 


12 






13 






14 






15 






16 






17 






18 






19.. 






20 








21 






22 






23 






1.0 
1.0 

Q 


24 






25 






26. 






1.1 

1 


27 






28 








29 






7 


30 






Q 


31 








.9 



a Gage heights January 1 to June 17, 1896, approximate. 
Note. — See description of station in regard to datum of gage. 



See Introduction, page 31. 



152 THE POTOMAC RIVEB BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 



1897.a 



1898. 



Jan. 



0.8 



1.0 
1.4 
1.7 
1.5 
1.3 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 



1.0 

.9 



1.5 



1.5 

1.4 



1.8 
2.0 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 



1.1 
1.1 



1.5 
1.4 
1.1 
1.2 
1.4 

2.1 
4.0 
3.9 
3.6 
3.7 



l"eb. Mar. 



2.0 
1.9 
2.5 
2.0 
2.1 

5.1 
8.0 
10.5 
7.9 
5.8 

4.6 
4.0 
3.9 

4.6 
5.7 

7.0 
7.4 
7.7 
7.6 
7.2 

6.4 

6.7 

21.2 

24.6 

16.8 

9.3 
7.3 
6.0 



2.8 
1.7 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 

1.8 
1.9 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 



4.9 


2.0 


6.2 


2.0 


4.9 


1.8 


3.8 


1.7 


3.1 


1.7 


2.9 


2.8 


2.8 


3.8 


3.2 


4.1 


7.6 


3.4 


6.5 


2.9 


5.1 


2.6 


5.0 


2.3 


5.1 


2.1 


5.1 




3.6 




3.4 





5.3 
4.4 
4.2 
4.1 
4.6 

5.4 
6.0 
5.8 
5.0 
4.5 

4.2 
4.0 
3.9 
3.7 

3.7 

3.8 
4.2 
4.4 
4.7 
5.3 

6.2 
6.0 
5.5 
4.8 
4.7 

4.0 
4.1 
3.8 
3.6 
3.3 
2.9 



1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 

1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 

1.7 

1.7 
2.0 
5.8 
4.6 

3.5 
3.5 
6.6 
6.2 
6.4 

10.5 
7.2 
5.3 
4.4 
4.3 
6.2 



Apr. 



2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.2 

2.5 
2.8 
3.0 
2.9 
3.7 

5.7 
4.6 
3.9 
3.5 
3.3 

3.1 
3.0 
2.9 
2.8 
2.6 

2.5 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 
1.7 



6.1 
5.2 
4.6 
4.1 
3.8 

3.6 
3.2 
2.9 
2.4 
2.5 

2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.5 
2.5 

4.0 
9.0 
6.7 
5.1 
4.2 

3.5 
3.2 
2.9 
2.6 
2.6 

2.6 
2.5 
3.3 
3.0 
2.8 



May. 



1.7 
1.9 
6.5 
14.0 
8.5 

6.0 
5.4 
4.6 
4.0 
3.5 

3.2 
3.0 
3.3 
8.9 
12.6 

8.0 
5.0 
4.4 
4.1 
3.9 

3.5 
3.2 
2.9 
2.8 
2.9 

3.0 
2.8 
2.5 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 



June. 



2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.9 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
2.0 
2.0 
1.8 

1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.7 

1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.7 
1.7 

2.1 
2.0 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.3 



2.6 


2.2 


2.4 


2.0 


2.2 


1.8 


2.0 


1.7 


1.9 


1.6 


1.8 


1.4 


2.2 


1.3 


5.4 


1.3 


11.05 


1.2 


9.6 


1.2 


6.5 


1.1 


5.2 


1.1 


4.2 


1.1 


3.7 


1.3 


3.1 


1.3 


3.0 


1.3 


3.2 


1.3 


4.6 


1.2 


4.4 


1.5 


3.5 


1.4 


2.3 


1.3 


2.9 


1.3 


3.1 


1.3 


3.9 


1.2 


5.1 


1.1 


5.6 


1.1 


4.1 


1.0 


3.4 


1.0 


3.0 


.9 


2.8 


.9 


2.4 





July. 


Aug. 


1.3 


1.5 


1.2 


1.4 


1.3 


1.3 


1.3 


1.3 


1.2 


1.3 


1.2 


1.8 


1.2 


1.3 


1.2 


1.2 


1.1 


1.3 


1.0 


1.3 


1.4 


1.4 


1.3 


1.3 


1.3 


1.3 


1.4 


1.2 


1.4 


1.2 


1.5 


1.3 


1.3 


1.2 


1.1 


1.2 


1.4 


1.1 


1.4 


1.1 


2.1 


1.1 


2.6 


1.1 


2.7 


1.1 


2.1 


1.2 


1.9 


1.7 


1.9 


1.6 


2.1 


1.3 


2.2 


1.3 


2.1 


1.3 


1.9 


1.3 


1.8 


1.3 


.9 


1.5 


.8 


1.7 


.8 


1.4 


.7 


1.2 


.7 


2.2 


.7 


7.2 


.7 


6.1 


.8 


3.7 


.7 


3.9 


.7 


5.6 


.7 


14.0 


.6 


16.05 


.5 


9.5 


.5 


8.0 


.5 


7.2 


.5 


6.1 


.5 


5.2 


.5 


4.3 


.7 


3.3 


.7 


3.1 


.9 


3.0 


.9 


3.8 


1.1 


2.8 


.9 


2.3 


.8 


2.0 


.9 


1.8 


1.2 


1.5 


1.0 


1.5 


1.2 


1.4 


1.4 


1.3 


1.7 


1.3 



Sept. 



o 1897 gage heights subject to errors of several tenths 



Oct. Nov. 



0.7 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.7 



1.0 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 



.9 
1.4 
1.2 
1.0 



1.4 
9.0 

5.4 
5.35 
13.1 
10.1 
5.9 

4.5 
3.8 
5.6 
3.4 
3.0 
2.8 



0.7 
.8 
1.0 
1.4 
1.0 



1.2 
.8 
.5 
.5 

.6 

1.1 

.9 

.7 
.7 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.4 
.4 



2.7 
2.5 
2.3 
2.2 
2.0 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

2.0 
1.8 
1.8 
2.0 
2.0 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
2.2 
3.0 

3.6 
3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
3.0 

2.7 
2.6 
2.4 
2.2 
2.1 



STREAM flow: POTOMAC RIVER. 153 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Potomac River at Point of RocJcs, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 



Jan. 



1899. 



9. 
10. 

11. 
12. 
V6. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



1900. 



3.0 
3.4 
2.9 
2.7 
2.3 

4.1 
6.9 
8.1 
6.8 
5.4 

4.6 
3.9 
3.6 
3.4 
3.4 

4.0 
5.7 
5.2 
4.7 
4.4 

4.0 
3.5 
3.3 
3.2 
3.3 

4.8 
4.7 
3.9 
3.2 
2.8 
2.6 



1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.5 
1.5 

1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 

1.2 

1.3 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.8 

2.1 
1.9 
1.7 
1.6 
2.2 

3.6 
6.8 
5.5 
4.0 
3.3 

2.8 
2.5 
2.1 
1.8 
1.3 
1.2 



Feb. 



Mar. 



2.4 
2.0 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.3 
2.3 
3.6 

4.2 
4.2 
4.0 
3.9 
3.8 

4.0 
4.5 
5.0 
5.2 
5.4 

6.0 
8.5 
14.8 
13.7 
9.0 

6.0 
9.25 
13.9 



1.0 
1.6 
2.0 
2.1 
2.2 

1.9 
1.8 
1.5 

1.8 
2.3 

3.0 
2.5 
3.0 
4.5 
5.3 

4.5 
3.8 
3.1 
2.6 
2.3 

1.9 
3.0 
6.9 
7.1 
5.6 

3.9 
3.3 
3.0 



11.9 
9.2 
8.2 
7.6 
8.5 

16.55 
12.9 
10.0 
8.1 
6.0 

5.8 
5.6 
5.0 
4.8 
4.5 

4.6 
4.7 
4.4 
5.2 
5.4 

5.3 
4.7 
4.2 
4.0 
3.9 

3.7 
3.5 
3.4 
4.6 
8.6 
7.0 



3.5 
4.5 
6.6 
5.9 
4.4 

4.0 
3.6 
3.9 
4.5 
4.0 

3.6 
3.2 
2.9 
2.8 
2.7 

2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
2.4 
2.6 

5.8 
8.7 
6.6 
5.4 
5.0 

4.5 
4.1 
3.7 
3.5 
3.3 
3.2 



Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


5.3 


1.6 


2.0 


1.'^ 


0.7 


4.5 


1.6 


2.4 


1.0 


.7 


4.0 


2.1 


3.8 


1.1 


.7 


3.6 


1.7 


2.6 


1.0 


.9 


3.3 


1.7 


2.1 


.9 


1.0 


3.0 


2.1 


1.8 


1.0 


1.1 


2.8 


2.0 


1.6 


2.0 


1.1 


3.0 


1.9 


1.5 


1.0 


1.1 


3.5 


2.0 


1.4 


1.0 


1.0 


3.4 


2.4 


1.7 


.9 


1.0 


4.2 


4.5 


1.8 


.9 


.9 


4.5 


3.8 


1.7 


.8 


.8 


3.4 


3.4 


1.7 


.8 


.6 


3.2 


3.2 


1.6 


.8 


.6 


3.0 


2.8 


1.5 


.9 


.6 


2.8 


2.5 


1.5- 


1.1 


.7 


2.7 


2.3 


1.4 


.9 


.7 


2.6 


2.4 


1.4 


.7 


.6 


2.5 


8.55 


1.3 


.7 


.6 


2.4 


6.3 


1.3 


.7 


.6 


2.2 


5.0 


1.2 


.7 


.6 


2.1 


3.6 


1.2 


.7 


.5 


2.0 


3.0 


1.1 


.7 


.5 


2.0 


2.7 


1.1 


.6 


.5 


2.0 


2.4 


1.0 


.6 


.5 


1.9 


2.1 


1.0 


.6 


.5 


1.9 


2.0 


1.0 


.6 


1.2 


1.8 


1.8 


1.2 


.6 


1.1 


1.7 


1.7 


1.1 


.5 


1.1 


1.7 


1.7 


1.0 


.8 


1.0 




1.8 




.8 


1.0 


4.8 


1.9 


1.3 


1.2 


1.2 


3.8 


1.7. 


1.3 


1.1 


1.1 


3.4 


1.6 


1.3 


1.0 


1.0 


3.1 


1.5 


1.4 


1.0 


.9 


2.8 


1.5 


1.6 


.9 


.9 


2.7 


1.4 


1.8 


1.3 


.8 


2.6 


1.4 


1.5 


1.0 


.8 


2.5 


1.3 


1.4 


.9 


.7 


2.4 


1.3 


1.4 


.8 


.6 


2.3 


1.3 


1.3 


.7 


.6 


2.1 


1.2 


1.2 


.6 


.5 


2.1 


1.2 


1.1 


.6 


.5 


2.0 


1.1 


1.0 


.5 


.4 


1.9 


1.1 


.9 


.5 


.4 


1.9 


1.1 


1.3 


.5 


.4 


1.8 


1.1 


1.0 


.4 


.4 


1.8 


1.0 


1.8 


.4 


.4 


1.7 


1.0 


2.8 


.4 


.4 


1.7 


1.2 


8.5 


.5 


.4 


1.6 


1.3 


6.2 


1.4 


.4 


1.7 


1.8 


4.6 


1.0 


.4 


2.2 


1.9 


3.6 


.9 


.4 


2.5 


2.0 


2.7 


.8 


.4 


2.8 


1.7 


2.3 


1.8 


.4 


3.0 


1.5 


2.1 


1.6 


.5 


2.8 


1.4 


2.0 


2.0 


.6 


2.5 


1.4 


1.8 


1.4 


.7 


2.3 


1.3 


1.5 


1.2 


.9 


2.1 


1.2 


1.4 


1.0 


.9 


2.0 


1.3 


1.3 


1.3 


.8 




1.3 




1.3 


. .8 



Sept. 



0.9 



1.2 
1.1 
1.0 



Oct. 


Nov. 


0.7 


0.8 


.6 


1.5 


.6 


2.5 


.6 


2.0 


.6 


1.8 


.6 


1.4 


.6 


1.4 


.7 


1.3 


,7 


1.2 


.6 


1.0 


.6 


.9 


.6 


.9 


.6 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.7 


.5 


.7 


.5 


.7 


.5 


.7 


.5 


.7 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.9 


.5 


.9 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.5 


.8 


.6 




.3 


.5 


.3 


.5 


.3 


.5 


.3 


.5 


.3 


.5 


.3 


.4 


.3 


.4 


.3 


.4 


.3 


.5 


.3 


.6 


.3 


.5 


.3 


.4 


.3 


.4 


.3 


.4 


.9 


.4 


.5 


.4 


.4 


.4 


.3 


.3 


.3 


.2 


.3 


.2 


.3 


.3 


.5 


.4 


.4 


.4 


.4 


.4 


.4 


.4 


.4 


1.2 


.5 


3.3 


.5 


8.2 


.5 


5.4 


.5 


3.2 


.5 





Dec. 



154 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Potomac River at Point of Rocks, IW.— Continued. 



11. 

12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



3. 
4. 
5. 

6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 

11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 

10. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 



21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 



Day. 



1901.11 



1902.i> 



Jan. 



0.8 



.6 
.6 

.7 
1.1 
1.8 
4.6 
3.5 

2.8 
2.2 
2.0 
1.9 

1.7 

1.5 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.4 

1.5 
1.5 
1.3 
.9 
1.0 
1.2 



11.7 
7.2 
5.6 
4.8 
4.2 

3.8 
3.5 
3.2 
3.1 
3.0 

2.8 
2.7 
2.5 
2.3 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.3 
3.0 
6.7 
5.2 
3.2 

3.0 
3.5 
5.2 
5.0 
4.5 
4.2 



Feb. 



1.2 
1.1 
1.0 
1.1 
1.1 

1.1 
1.3 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.3 
1.4 
1.7 
1.7 
1.8 

1.7 
1.4 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 



.9 
1.0 

1.0 



3.7 
3.5 
3.3 
3.2 
2.8 

2.4 
2.5 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

3.5 
4.0 
4.2 
4.4 
5.2 

5.4 
5.5 
5.2 
4.8 
4.5 

4.5 
5.6 
7.0 
4.1 
4.4 

17.75 

27.2 

18.0 



Mar. 



Apr. May. 



.8 


2.2 


.8 


2.0 


.8 


3.3 


.8 


5.4 


.8 


7.7 


.9 


6.8 


1.8 


6.8 


1.4 


7.8 


1.3 


6.3 


2.7 


5.3 


4.2 


4.2 


12.4 


3.3 


9.9 


3.0 


6.2 


3.2 


4.5 


9.0 


3.9 


15.0 


3.2 


8.3 


2.8 


7.4 


2.5 


6.2 


2.3 


5.4 


2.5 


11.4 


3.0 


20.8 


3.2 


15.8 


3.3 


11.2 


2.8 


7.9 


2.5 


6.6 


2.6 


5.6 


2.5 


4.8 


2.6 


4.2 


2.7 


3.8 


2.4 




22.5 


5.7 


29.0 


5.0 


16.1 


4.5 


10.2 


4.1 


8.1 


4.0 


6.7 


3.8 


5.8 


4.0 


6.7 


6.4 


7.4 


16.4 


8.5 


14.3 


12.0 


12.9 


12.4 


12.2 


14.0 


11.5 


13.8 


9.3 


12.0 


7.8 


10.2 


6.5 


8.2 


5.e 


10.6 


5.3 


8.7 


4.9 


6.6 


4.6 


5.5 


4.0 


4.5 


3.5 


4.1 


3.3 


3.8 


3.0 


3.6 


2.9 


3.5 


2.8 


3.5 


2.9 


3.6 


2.8 


3.7 


2.7 


4.3 


2.7 


6.4 





3.4 
3.1 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 

2.3 
2.1 
1.9 
1.8 
2.0 

8.0 
9.1 
6.0 
4.6 
3.5 

3.0 
2.7 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 

2.0 

1.9 

12.6 

14.2 

9.3 

7.2 
7.5 
7.6 
9.0 
9.7 



2.7 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
3.1 
2.7 

2.5 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 

2.1 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
2.6 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

2.0 
2.2 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 



June. 



7.5 
6.0 
4.8 
4.0 
3.5 

4.0 
4.7 
4.8 
4.1 
3.2 

2.7 
2.5 
2.2 
2.4 
2.7 

3.0 
5.7 
8.5 
5.6 
4.5 

3.7 
5.6 
4.6 
4.5 
4.3 

4.0 
3.6 
3.3 
3.0 
2.8 



1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.2 

1.4 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 



July. 



2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
2.2 
2.0 
1.7 

1.6 
1.5 
1.6 
2.0 
3.6 

5.1 
5.2 
5.5 
5.1 
4.6 

3.6 
3.1 
2.8 
2.5 
2.2 

2.1 
2.2 
2.0 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 



1.6 
1.7 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 

1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.1 
1.1 

1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.6 
1.7 I 



Aug. 



1.7 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.6 
4.5 
3.5 
2.8 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 
2.1 



Sept. 



2.8 
5.7 
5.3 
4.1 
3.2 

2.3 
2.0 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 

1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 



Oct. 



2.0 


1.8 


2.0 


1.6 


2.3 


1.5 


2.4 


1.5 


2.6 


1.4 


3.0 


1.4 


2.7 


1.4 


2.3 


1.3 


2.0 


1.3 


2.0 


1.3 


2.0 


1.2 


2.2 


1.2 


2.7 


1.2 


2.4 


1.2 


2.2 


3.2 


2.3 




1.6 


.8 


1.4 


.9 


1.7 


.9 


1.7 


.9 


1.8 


.9 


1.6 


.9 


1.5 


.8 


1.5 


.8 


1.4 


.8 


1.3 


.8 


1.2 


.8 


1.1 


.8 


1.1 


. / 


1.0 


.7 


1.0 


.7 


1.0 


.7 


1.0 


.7 


1.0 


.7 


1.0 


.7 


1.0 


.7 


.9 


.7 


.9 


./ 


.9 


.7 


.9 


.7 


1.0 


.9 


1.0 


.8 


.9 


.8 


.9 


.8 


1.0 


.8 


.9 

.8 


1.0 



3.0 
2.4 
2.1 
1.9 
1.9 

1.7 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 



1.2 
1.2 
1.1 
1.0 
1.1 

1.2 
1.2 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.1 
1.4 
1.6 
1.9 
2.0 

2.1 
2.0 
1.8 
1.6 
1.4 

1.2 

1.1 

1.0 

.9 

.9 



1.0 
1.0 
1.1 
1.1 



Nov. 



0.9 



1.0 
1.0 



1.8 
4.1 

4.4 
3.2 

2.5 
2.0 
1.7 



1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
.9 



1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 
1.3 

1.5 
1.9 
3.0 
3.5 
2.8 



a Gage heights April 16 to December 31, 1901, are somewhat in error on account of uncertainty of 
the gage datum. 

b Gage heights Jahuary 1 to September 1. 1902, somewhat in error; datum not known. Gage 
heights September 2 to December 31, 1902, refer to datum 41.75 feet below bench mark No. 1. Rise in 
gage February 11-23, 1902, due to ice gorging. 



STKEAM flow: POTOMAC KIVEK. 155 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Potomac River at Point of Rochs, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1903.0 

1 


2.6 

2.4 

4.9 

11.6 

10.3 

7.6 
5.7 
4.8 
4.2 
3.5 

3.0 
2.8 
2.7 
2.6 
2.7 

2.8 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 

2.9 
3.6 
4.4 
3.8 
3.3 

3.1 
2.8 
3.6 
6.2 
7.3 
7.0 

1.5 
1.5 
2.0 
2.3 
1.8 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
2.0 
4.0 
5.2 
7.4 

5.1 
3.6 
3.3 
3.2 
3.0 
3.0 


6.5 
6.1 
6.0 
6.3 
8.2 

9.2 
6.7 
6.3 
5.2 
4.5 

4.1 
3.7 
3.7 
3.9 
3.9 

4.0 
6.8 
7.4 
6.0 
4.9 

4.5 
4.2 
4.1 
3.8 
4.2 

4.4 

4.5 
5.4 

3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
3.3 

4.8 

4.9 
4.9 
3.3 
3.5 
5.7 

5.0 
3.9 
3.6 
3.5 
3.4 

3.8 
3.8 
3.9 
3.9 
3.8 

3.8 
4.5 
5.6 
6.0 
6.6 

6.6 
7.6 
6.6 
6.0 


14.2 

15.3 

8.9 

6.6 

5.7 

5.3 
5.0 
4.8 
4.6 
4.8 

5.4 
5.0 
4.6 
4.3 
4.0 

3.8 
3.6 
3.4 
3.2 
3.1 

3.0 
3.1 
5.1 
7.0 
12.1 

8.6 
6.6 
5.3 
4.7 
4.5 
5.1 

5.3 
4.4 
4.0 
3.8 
4.0 

4.2 
4.5 
5.0 
■4.8 
5.4 

4.5 
3.8 
3.3 
2.8 
2.6 

2.4 
2.4 
2.2 
2.1 
2.2 

2.3 
2.4 
2.5 
2.7 
3.7 

3.4 
3.0 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 


7.7 
7.0 
6.1 
5.0 
4.9 

4.6 
4.3 
4.1 
4.5 
6.1 

5.6 
5.4 
5.3 
5.6 
14.4 

15.1 
14.0 
10.4 
.7.8 
6.7 

5.5 
5.0 
4.5 
4.1 
3.8 

3.6 
3.5 
3.4 
3.2 
3.1 

2.4 
2.6 
3.0 
3.5 
3.1 

3.5 
3.0 
2.4 
2.3 
2.3 

2.6 
3.1 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 

2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
1.9 

1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 

1.5 
1.6 
2.0 
3.7 
6.3 


3.0 
2.9 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 

2.7 
. 2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 

2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 

2.0 
2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.9 
2.0 

2.0 

2.1 
2.3 
2.4 
2.6 
2.8 

5.6 
4.0 
3.6 
3.0 
2.8 

2.6 
2.5 

2.8 
2.7 
2.6 

2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 

2.2 
2.1 
2.2 
2.3 
3.1 

6.2 
4.7 
4.0 
3.6 
3.1 

2.8 
2.5 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.4 


3.7 
4.9 
4.0 
3.4 
3.0 

2.6 
2.4 
6.4 
8.2 
7.4 

6.5 
5.1 
5.3 
6.0 
5.6 

4.5 
4.0 
3.6 
3.2 
3.0 

2.8 
2.6 
2.4 
2.5 
3.3 

3.6 
.3.2 
2.7 
6.2 
12.2 

6.7 
7.8 
5.2 
4.6 
4.1 

5.0 
4.4 
4.0 
3.6 
3.2 

2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.2 

2.1 
2.0 
1.8 
1.6 
1.5 

1.5 
2.5 
3.0 
2.8 
2.5 

2.1 
1.7 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 



8.7 
5.8 
4.5 
4.0 
3.5 

4.7 
8.2 
5.8 
4.0 
3.4 

3.0 
3.5 
5.6 
3.9 
3.5 

3.2 
3.0 
2.8 
2.8 
3.1 

2.8 
2.5 
2.3 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.8 
2.0 
1.8 

1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 

1.5 
1.5 
1.6 
1.6 
1.7 

2.9 
2.6 
3.4 
3.1 
3.0 

2.8 
2.4 
2.0 
1.8 
1.6 

1.4 
1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 


1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.7 
1.8 

1.9 
2.3 
2.3 
2.2 
2.0 

2.9 
2.8 
2.5 
2.3 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 

1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.4 

1.3 
'1.3 
1.5 
2.1 
2.5 
2.1 

1.4 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1.2 
1.3 
1.4 
- 1.5 
1.4 

1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.1 

1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
.9 
.9 
1.0 
1.0 

1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
.9 


2.0 
2.1 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.5 

1.4 
1.5 
2.6 
4.5 
2.9 

2.4 
2.0 
1.9 
1.7 
1.6 

1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 

.9 
.8 
.8 
.8 
.9 

1.0 

.a 

.8 
.7 
.7 

.7 
.8 
1.0 
.9 
.9 

1.0 
1.0 
.9 
.8 
.7 

.8 
1.0 
.9 
.8 
.8 

.8 
.7 
.7 
.7 
.7 


1.2 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.1 
2.3 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.5 
1.6 

1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.1 
1.1 

.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 
.6 

.1 

.5 
.5 

.5 
.6 
.7 
.7 
.6 

.6 
.5 
.5 
.5 
.6 

1.0 
.9 
.8 

.7 
.7 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.6 
.6 
.6 


1.1 
1.1 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.1 
1.1 
1.1 

1.2 
1.1 

1.0 
1.0 
1.3 
1.1 
1.1 

.6 
.6 

.7 
.7 
.7 

.7 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.7 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.8 
.8 

.8 
.7 
.8 
.8 
.8 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.7 
.7 

.7 
.7 
.7 
.8 
.8 


1.1 


2 


1.1 


3 


1.1 


4 


1.1 


5 


1.1 


6 


1.1 


7 


1.1 


8 


1.1 


9 


1.0 


10 


1.0 


11 


1.0 


12 


1.0 


13 


1.0 


14 


1.0 


15 


1.1 




1.2 


17 


1.7 


18 


1.5 


19 


1.4 


20 


1.5 


21 


1.6 


22 


1.7 


23 


1.7 


24 . 


1.6 


25 


1.6 


26 


1.6 


27 


1.6 


28.. 


1.6 


29 


1.7 




1.7 


31 


1.6 


1904.6 
1 


.8 


2 


.8 


3 


.8 


4 . 


.8 


5 . ... 


.8 




.8 


7 


.8 


8 


.8 


9 . ... 


.8 


10 


.9 


11 


.9 


12 


.9 


13 


.9 


14 


.9 




.9 


16 


.9 


17 . . . 


.9 


18 


.9 


19 


.9 


20.. . 


1.0 




1.0 


22 


1.0 


23 


1.0 


24 


1.0 


25 


1.1 


26 


1.4 


27 . . 


1.5 




1.8 


29 


1.8 


30 


1.9 


31 


2.0 



o Ice conditions December 17 to 31, 1903. 

i> Ice conditions during part of January and February, 1904. 



iKR 192—07- 



-11 



156 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Pptomac River at Point of Rocks, Ma. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1905. 
1 


2.0 
2.4 
2.5 
2.8 
3.0 

3.2 
4.4 
4.6 
4.0 
3.4 

3.0 
2.8 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

2,9 
3.8 
3.2 
2.8 
2.6 

2 6 
2.7 
2.8 
2.4 

2.1 

19 
a3.0 
2.6 
2.6 
2.5 
2.5 

3.6 
3.4 
3.3 
3.7 
8.0 

8.6 
7.0 
4.8 
4.0 
3.5 

3.1 
2.9 
2.8 
3.0 
3.3 

3.6 
3.7 
41 
3.9 
3. 5 

3.4 
3.3 
3.2 
3.1 
6.35 

5.1 

4.2 
3.6 
3.4 
3.2 
3.1 


2.4 
2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.2 

2.2 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 
2.0 

2.0 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.2 

2.2 
2 2 
2.2 
2.2 
2.2 

2.3 
2.3 
2.4 

3.0 
2.9 
2.7 
2.5 
2.4 

2.2 
2.2 
2.0 
1.9 
1.8 

1.8 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.9 

1.8 
1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.6 

1.7 
1.8 
1.9 
2.0 
2.0 

1.9 
1.8 
2.0 


2.4 
2.5 
2.6 
2.8 
3.4 

4.0 
4.4 
5.1 
6.0 
6.4 

11.0 
10.1 
6.9 
6.0 
5.9 

5.5 
5.0 

4 5 
4.4 
5.0 

5.9 

7.5 
8.4 
6.7 
5.8 

6.9 
5.9 

5 2 
4.6 
4.0 
36 

1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
2.0 
4.0 

5.45 

45 

3.6 

3.0 

2.7 

2.6 
2.5 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.4 
2.5 
2.5 
2.6 
2.9 

2.9 
3.1 
3.4 
3.9 
3.9 

3.9 
3.7 
7.8 
12.9 
10.5 
10.9 


3.2 
3.0 

2.7 
2.5 
2.6 

2.7 
2.8 
3.0 
3.0 
2.9 

2.8 
2.8 
2.9 
2.8 
2.6 

2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
2.1 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 
1.9 

1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.7 

11.1 
9.6 
7.7 
6.5 
5.5 

5.1 
4.8 
4.8 
4.3 
4.2 

5.5 
5.6 
49 
40 
5.75 

8.45 

7.5 

6.3 

5.1 

45 

4 1 
3.6 
3.3 
3.1 
2.9 

2.9 
2.8 
5.1 
5.0 
43 


1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 

1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 

1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
3.0 

2.8 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 

2.3 
2.2 
2,2 
2.0 

1.8 

1.7 
16 
f.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.3 

3.3 
3.1 
2.8 
2.8 
2.6 

2.5 
2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 
2.2 
2.3 
2.2 
2.0 

2.1 
2.0 
1.8 
1.9 
1.8 

1.6 
1.6 
1.6 
1.4 
1.5 

1.4 
1.3 
1.9 
1:9 

1.7 
1.7 


1.5 
■ 1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.5 
1.6 
1.9 
2.0 

1.9 
1.9 
2.3 
2.2 
2.0 

2.0 
1.9 
1.8 
1.6 
1.4 

1.3 
1.5 
2.5 
3.6 
5.2 

7.0 
5.0 
3.6 
3.0 
2.6 

1.8 
1.7 
1.7 
1.6 
1.5 

1.7 
1.9 
1.7 
2.4 
3.0 

2.5 
2.2 
1.8 
1.6 
1.6 

1.6 
1.6 
2.5 
3.2 
2.9 

3.1 
5.0 
43 
3.6 
3.1 

2.6 
2.4 
2.3 
3.1 
3.0 


2.1 
1.8 
1.6 
1.5 
3.0 

3.5 
4 
4 5 
4 
3.6 

2.8 
2.3 
3.2 
4 1 
5.0 

5.4 
4 2 
4 
3.6 
3.3 

3.0 
2.8 
2.6 
4 
3.5 

3.0 
2.6 
2.3 
2.0 
1.8 
2 5 

2.2 
1.9 
2.0 
2.9 
2.6 

2.4 
2.2 
2.0 
1.9 

1.7 

1.5 
1.4 
1.3 
1.2 
1.3 

1.2 
1.2 
1.5 
1.8 
■ 1.7 

1.5 
1.4 
1.5 
2.0 
2.1 

1.9 
1.7 
1.8 
1.9 
2.0 
1.7 


2.9 
2.7 
2.4 
2.2 
2.0 

1.8 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 

1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.6 

2.0 
2.9 
3.4 
2.5 
2.1 

1.8 
1.7 
1.5 
1.5 
2.0 

2.9 
3.4 
3.9 
2.9 

2.8 
2.5 

1.6 
■- 1.5 
1.5 
43 
3.6 

2.8 
2.4 
2.6 
2.8 
3.2 

7.6 
5.7 
4 3 
3.7 
3.0 

5.1 
48 
42 
3.5 
4 4 

40 
5.3 
48 
3.7 
41 

48 
46 
6.7 
&0 
5.3 
44 


2.2 
2.0 
1.8 
1.7 
1.6 

'1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 
1.4 
1.4 
2.0 

1.7 

1 5 
1.4 
1.4 
1.4 
1.3 

1.3 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

1 1 
1.1 
1.1 
1.1 
1 

3.7 
3.1 
2.8 
2.6 
2.3 

2.1 
1.9 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 

1.7 
1.6 
1.6 
1.5 
1.5 

1.4 
1.6 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

1.4 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 
1.3 

1.3 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 


1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
.9 

.9 

1.2 
1.1 
1.4 
1.6 

1.5 
1.3 
1 2 
1 
1.2 

1.4 
1.8 
1.6 
1.4 
1.4 

1.5 
1.6 
1.7 
2.1 
2.0 
1.8 

1.2 
1.2 
1.4 
1.5 
2.2 

2.5 
2.7 
2.6 
2.5 
2.2 

2.0 
1.9 
1.6 
1.5 
1.6 

1.4 
1.4 
1.5 
1.7 
12.5 

16.1 
11.05 
8.5 
6.6 
5.4 

45 
41 
3.6 
3.3 
3.1 
2.8 


1.6 
1.5 
1.5 
1.4 
1.4 

13 
1.3 
1.3 
1.2 
1.2 

1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 

1.0 
1.0 
.9 
.9 
.9 

.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 

.9 
.9 
.9 
.9 
1.3 

2.6 
2.5 
2.3 
2.3 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
1.9 

1.8 
1.8 
1.8 
1.7 
1.8 

1. 7 
1.8 
1.8 
1.9 
1.9 

A.Q 
42 
40 
3.3 
3.0 

2.7 
2.6 
2.2 
2.1 
2.1 


1.6 


2 . ... 


1.6 


3 


2.5 


4 


4 6 


5 


4.0 


6 •.... 


3.4 


7 


3.0 


8 


2.4 


9 


2.3 


10 


2.2 


11 


2.1 


12 


2.0 


13 

14 


1.9 
1.8 


15 


1.8 


16 


1.7 


17 


1.6 


18.- 


1.5 


19 


1.5 


20 


1.5 


21 


2.8 


22 


7.6 


23 


7.5 


24 . . 


6.1 


25 


5.5 


26 


4 8 


27 


4 1 


28 


3.4 


29 


3.1 


30 . ... 


3 G 


31 


3.2 


1906. !> 
1 


1.9 


2 


1.8 


3 


1.9 


4 . ... 


1.7 


5 


1.8 


6 


1.8 


7 


1.85 


8 


1.7 


9 


1.75 


10 


1.8 


11 


2.0 


i2 


2.2 


13 


3.5 


H 


3.1 


15 


2.65 


16 


2.7 


17 


2.8 


18 


47 


19 


10.0 


20 


7.2 


21 


5.6 


22 

23 


5.2 
4 6 


24 


3.8 


25 


3.2 


26 


2.8 


27 


2.85 


28 


2.9 


29 


3.0 


30 


3.1 


31 


3.2 







a Ice gorge January 27, 1905. 

6 Flow probably unafiected by ice conditions during 1906. 



STREAM FLOW : POTOMAC KIVER. 



157 



Rating tables for Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md. 

FEBRUARY 17, 1895, TO MARCH 31, 1902.a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Secondr-feet. 


Feet. 


Secondr-feet. 


Feet. 


Secondr-feet. 


Feet. 


Second'feet. 


0.20 


1,040 


2.00 


7,120 


3.80 


16,380 


7.20 


38, 560 


.30 


1,180 


2.10 


7,. 580 


3.90 


16,940 


7.40 


40,080 


.40 


1,340 


2.20 


8,060 


4.00 


17. 520 


7.60 


41,600 


.50 


1,540 


2.30 


8,540 


4.20 


18,680 


7.80 


43, 160 


.60 


1,760 


2.40 


9,020 


4.40 


19,840 


8.00 


44, 720 


.70 


2,000 


2.50 


9,500 


4.60 


21,040 


8.50 


48,700 


.80 


2,280 


2.60 


10,000 


4.80 


22, 240 


9.00 


52, 700 


.90 


2,600 


2.70 


10, 500 


5.00 


23,480 


10.00 


61,000 


1.00 


2,940 


2.80 


11,000 


5.20 


24,740 


11.00 


69, 300 


1.10 


3,300 


2.90 


11,. 520 


5.40 


26,020 


12.00 


77, 600 


1.20 


3.680 


3.00 


12, 040 


5.60 


27, 340 


13.00 


85,900 


1.30 


4,080 


3.10 


12, .560 


5.80 


28, 660 


14.00 


94, 200 


1.40 


4,480 


3.20 


13, 080 


6.00 


30,020 


15. 00 


102,500 


1.50 


4,900 


3.30 


13,620 


6.20 


31,380 


16.00 


110, 800 


1.60 


5,320 


3.40 


14, 160 


6.40 


32, 780 


17.00 


119, 100 


1.70 


5,760 


3.50 


14,700 


6.60 


34, 180 


18.00 


127, 400 


1.80 


6,200 


3.60 


15, 260 


6.80 


35, 620 


19.00 


135, 700 


1.90 


6,660 


3.70 


15,820 


7.00 


37,080 


20.00 


144,000 



APRIL 1, 1902, TO DECEMBER 31, 1906.6 



0.50 


900 


2.30 


6,130 


- 4.20 


15, 150 


7.80 


38, 500 


.60 


1,090 


2.40 


6,520 


4.40 


16,270 


8. CO 


39,980 


.70 


1,295 


2.50 


6,920 


4.60 


17, 430 


8.50 


43, 740 


.80 


1,.515 


2.60 


7,330 


4.80 


18,610 


9.00 


47,600 


.90 


1,750 


2.70 


7,750 


5.00 


19,820 


9.50 


51,560 


1.00 


2,000 


2.80 


8,180 


5.20 


21,060 


10.00 


55, 600 


1.10 


2,260 


2.90 


8,620 


5.40 


22,300 


11.00 


63, 900 


1.20 


2,530 


.3.00 


9,070 


5.60 


23,560 


12. 00 


72, 200 


1.30 


2,810 


3.10 


9,530 


5.80 


24, 840 


13.00 


80,500 


1.40 


3,100 


3.20 


10, 000 


6.00 


26, 140 


14.00 


88, 800 


1.50 


3,400 


3.30 


10,480 


6.20 


27, 460 


15.00 . 


97, 100 


1.60 


3,700 


3.40 


10,970 


6.40 


28, 780 


16.00 


105, 400 


1.70 


4,010 


3.50 


11,470 


6.60 


30, 100 


17.00 


113, 700 


1.80 


4,330 


3.60 


11,980 


6.80 


31,460 


18.00 


122,000 


1.90 


4,670 


3.70 


12, 490 


7.00 


32, 820 


19.00 


130,300 


2.00 


5,020 


3.80 


13,010 


7.20 


34, 220 


20.00 


138, 600 


2.10 


5,380 


3.90 


13, 530 


7.40 


35, 620 






2.20 


5,750 


4.00 


14,070 


7.60 


37,060 







a The above table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on 23 discharge 
measurements made during 1895-1901, inclusive. It is well defined between gage heights 0.3 foot and 
14.0 leet. Above 9.00 feet the rating curve is a tangent, the difference being 830 per tenth. 

6 This table is strictlv applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on discharge measure- 
ments made during 1902-1906, inclusive. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 1.0 foot and 14.0 
feet. Above gage height 10.0 feet the rating curve is a tangent, the difference being 830 per tenth. 



158 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 



Estimated monthhj discharge of Potomac River at Point of Bocks, Md. 
[Drainage area, 9,650 square miles, a] 



Montli. 



1895. 

January 

February 17-28. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 



The year. 



1896. 
January c... 
February <:.. 

March 

April 

May 11-31 c.. 

June c 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November... 
December... 



The year. 

lS97.d 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 



The year. 



1898. 

January 

l'"ebruary... 

M&rch 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September.. 

October 

November.. 
December.. 



The year. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



15, 260 

65, 980 

67, 640 

29, 340 

7,580 

10, 500 

3,300 

2,600 

1,340 

1,540 

5,320 



24, 100 
37,080 



5,320 
14, 160 
50, 300 

9,500 
25, 380 
159, 400 
30,020 
12,040 



8,540 

182, 200 

31,380 

28,000 

94, 200 

7,580 

10, 500 

6.200 

2,940 

2.600 

4.480 

19,260 



182, 200 



41,600 

18, 100 

65, 150 

52, 700 

69, 720 

8,060 

5,760 

111,400 

3,680 

86, 730 

15, 260 

54, 360 



111,400 



Minimum. 



5,320 
11,520 
6,200 
7,120 
2,280 
2,600 
1,340 
1,180 
1,040 
1,180 
1,180 



1,180 
2,600 



1,540 
1,180 
2,940 
1,540 
1,180 
2,000 
2,000 
2,000 



2.280 
6,660 
11.520 
5.760 
5,760 
4,080 
2,940 
3,300 
2,000 
1,760 
1,340 
2,600 



1,340 



3,300 
5,760 
4,480 
9,020 
6,200 
2,600 
1,540 
3.680 
.2,000 
1,760 
5,320 
6,200 



1,540 



Mean. 



7,413 

24, 560 

14,500 

12,540 

4,033 

4,443 

1,997 

1,565 

1,163 

1,333 

2,259 



5,257 
10, 470 



2,560 
5,429 
9,283 
3,449 
2,175 
12, 490 
6,928 
4,723 



4,284 

42.660 

20,850 

10,830 

22, 950 

5,997 

5,315 

4,092 

2,337 

1,968 

2,096 

6,579 



10, 830 



14,660 
8,339 

15, 470 

15,970 

18,060 
4,178 
2,418 

22, 140 
2,497 

13, 580 
8, 557 

15, 330 



11,780 



Run-ofl. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



0.768 
2.54 
1.50 
1.30 
.418 
.460 
.207 
.162 
.120 
.138 
.234 



.545 



.265 
.562 
.962 
.357 
.225 
1.29 
.718 



.444 
4.42 
2.16 
1.12 
2.38 
.621 
.551 
.424 
.242 
.204 
.217 
.681 



1.12 



1.52 
.864 

1.60 

1.65 

1.87 
.433 
.250 

2.29 
.259 

1.41 
.886 

1.59 



1.22 



Depth in 
inches. 



0.343 
2.93 



.628 
1.16 



.207 
.627 

1.11 
.412 
.251 

1.49 
.801 
.564 



.512 
4.60 
2.49 
1.25 
2.74 
.693 
.635 
.489 
.270 
.235 
.242 
.785 



14.94 



1.75 
.900 

1.84 

1.84 

2.16 
.483 
^288 

2.64 
.289 

1.63 
.988 

1.83 



16.64 



Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 



122 
71 
61 
12 
18 
11 
21 
12 
11 
10 



13 

19 
24 
4 
162 
26 
76 



33 
78 
104 
55 
57 
28 
16 
17 
17 
17 
6 
24 



40 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



3.25 
6 1.16 
2.41 
2.37 
2.46 
3.88 
3.03 
2.10 
.85 
1.19 
1.37 
2.59 



26.66 



1.97 
3.48 
3.55 
1.61 
2.91 
5.01 
5.79 
1.69 
6.09 

.92 
3.02 

.74 



36.78 



1.55 

5.88 
2.40 
2.28 
4.77 
2.43 
4.08 
2.93 
1.60 
1.43 
4.10 
3.22 



36.68 



3.78 
1.07 
4.44 
2.36 
4.76 
1.81 
3.21 
7.00 
1.32 
6.41 
2,41 
2.91 



41.48 



a 9,6,50 square miles used to obtain run-otf for 1906: 9,654 used for ail other years. 

6 Precipitation for complete month, February, 1895, and May, 1896. 

c Estimates January 1 to June 17, 1896, liable to considerable error, owing to possible error in gage 
heights. See Introduction, page 31. 

d 1897 estimates may be only approximate, owing to large errors in the wire length during the year.- 
See Introduction, page 32. 



STREAM flow: POTOMAC RIVER. 



159 



Estimated monthly discharge of Potomac River at Point of Rochs, Md. — Continued. 



Month. 



1899. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year. 

1900. 

January. 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year. 

1901 .1 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1902.U 

January 

February b 

March , 

April 

May ... 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October , 

November 

December 

The year 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



45, 500 

100,800 

115,400 

25, 380 

49, 140 

16, 380 

7,120 

3,680 

3,680 

2,000 

9,500 

12,040 



115, 400 



35,620 

37,820 

50, 300 

22, 240 

7,120 

48, 700 

7,120 

3,680 

2,000 

2,600 

46, 300 

29, 340 



50, 300 



21,040 
6,200 
80, 920 

150, 600 
95, 860 
48, 700 
26, 680 
20, 440 
28, 000 
12,040 
19,840 

130, 700 



150, 600 



75, 110 

203,800 

218, 700 

108, 700 

9,530 

4, .330 

4,330 

4,330 

2,000 

• 5, 380 

11,470 

54,780 



218, 700 



Minimum. 



8,540 
7,120 
14, 160 
5, 760 
5,320 
2,940 
1,540 
1,540 
1.760 
1,540 
2,000 
2,000 



1,540 



3,680 
2,940 
8,540 
5,320 
2,940 
2,600 
1,340 
1,340 
1,040 
1,180 
1,040 
2,280 



1,040 



1,760 
2,280 
2,280 
7,120 
6,200 
8,060 
4; 900 
4,080 
3, 680 
2,600 
2,280 
4,480 



1,760 



7,580 
9,020 
14,700 
7,750 
4,670 
2,530 
2,000 
1,515 
1,295 
1,515 
1,750 
7,330 



1,295 



Mean. 



20, 870 

28, 130 

35, 240 

11,750 

11,600 

5,314 

2, 519 

2,335 

2, .345 

1,663 

3,171 

4,068 



10, 750 



8,166 
13, 340 
18, 470 
9,295 
4,460 
8, 394 
3,008 
1,917 
1,344 
1,.333 
4,570 
6,218 



0,710 



4,929 

3,649 

13,800 

39, 750 

26,920 

18, 840 

10, 720 

8,337 

7,636 

4,303 

4,648 

25,610 



14, 100 



17,520 
32,520 
54,410 
28, 760 
5,973 
3,186 
3,086 
2,464 
1,490 
2,767 
2,837 
18,970 



14,500 



Run-ofE. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



2.16 
2.91 
3.05 
1.22 
1.20 
.550 
.261 
.242 
.243 
.172 
.328 
.421 



1.11 



.840 
1.38 
1.91 
.963 
.463 
.869 
.312 
.199 
.139 
.138 
.473 
.644 



.695 



.511 
.378 
1.43 
4.12 
2.79 
1.95 
1.11 
.864 
.791 
.446 
.481 
2.65 



1.81 
3.37 
5.64 
2.99 
.619 
.330 
.320 
.265 
.154 
.287 
.294 
1.96 



1.50 



Depth in 
inches. 



2.49 
3.03 
4.21 
1.36 
1.38 
.614 
.301 
.279 
.271 
.198 
.366 
.485 



14. f 



.975 
1.44 
2.20 
1.07 
.5.34 
.970 
.360 
.229 
.155 
.159 
.528 
.742 



9.36 



.589 
.394 
1.65 
4.60 
3.22 
2.18 
1.28 
.996 
.882 
.514 
.537 
3.06 



19.90 



2.09 
3.51 
fi.50 
3.34 
.714 
.368 
.369 
.294 
.172 
.331 
.328 
2.26 



20.28 



Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 



70 
106 
99 
27 
18 
13 
10 
7 
11 
22 
25 



29 



75 

90 

149 

104 

36 

11 

13 

13 

8 

10 

13 

50 



55 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



2.54 
4.44 
3.96 
1.37 
5.15 
3.47 
2.28 
2.84 
3.94 
1.88 
1.69 
1.94 



35.50 



2.10 
3.44 
3.42 
1.34 
2.32 
4.19 
3.74 
2.08 
1.95 
2.08 
3.62 
1.77 



32.04 



1.95 
.46 
3.46 
6.05 
6.47 
4.56 
3.82 
6.23 
3.15 
.57 
2.50 
5.71 



44.93 



2.78 
3.88 
4.35 
3.20 
1.97 
3.45 
2.75 
2.16 
2.01 
3.36 
2.49 
4.50 



36.90 



Loss in 
inches. 



0.05 
1.41 
- .25 
.01 
3.77 
2.86 
1.98 
2.56 
3.67 
1.68 
1.32 
1.46 



20.52 



1.12 
2.00 
1.22 
.27 
1.79 
3.22 
3.38 
1.85 
1.79 
1.92 
3.09 
1.03 



22.68 



1.36 
.07 
1.81 
1.45 
3.25 
2.38 
2.54 
5.23 
2.27 
.06 
1.96 
2.65 

25.03 



.69 

.37 

—2.15 

— .14 

1.26 

3.08 

2.38 

1.87 

1.84 

3.03 

2.16 

2.24 

16.62 



^Estimates April 16, 1901, to September 1, 1902, liable to some e^ror on account of uncertainty of the 
gage datum. 
6 Ice gorge February 1 1-23, 1902; no correction made in estimates. 



160 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIF. 

Estimated monthly discharge ofTotomac River at Point of Rocks, Md. — Continued. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Month. 



1903. 

January 

February... 

March 

April 



Masimuin.i Minimum. 



June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November.. 
December a . 



The year. 



1904. 
January ' . . , 
February 6. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . 

October 

November. . 
December.. 



The year. 
1905. 



January c_ 
lebruary.. 

March 

.\pril 

May 

June 

July ... 

August 

September. 

October 

November. 
December.. 



The year. 



1906. 



January. 
February. 

March 

April 



Jime 

July 

.\ugust 

September. 
October... 
November. 
December . . 



The vear ' 



68,880 

49, 160 

99. 590 

97.930 

9,070 

73. 860 

45, 260 

8,620 

16,850 

6.130 

2,810 

4.010 



99,590 



35,620 

37, 060 

22, 300 

28. 120 

27. 460 

38, 500 

10.970 

3,400 

2.000 

2,000 

1,515 

5,020 



38,500 



17, 430 

6,520 

63,900 

10,000 

9,070 

32.820 

22.300 

13, 530 

5,750 

5,380 

3,700 

37,060 



63,900 



44, ,500 

9.070 

79, 670 

64,730 

10,480 

19. 820 

8.620 

37.060 

12.490 

106. 200 

15. 150 

55,600 



106,200 



6,520 
12,490 
9,070 
9,530 
4,330 
6,520 
4,330 
2,810 
2,530 
2,000 
2,000 
2,000 



2,000 



3,400 
8,620 
6,380 
3,400 
5,380 
3,100 
2,530 
1,750 
1.295 
'900 
1,090 
1,515 



Mean. 



17,200 

22, 190 

26,730 

28.900 

6,212 

17,970 

12. 760 

4,826 

4,669 

3,212 

2,175 

2,926 



12,480 



7.287 

17, 480 

11,170 

7,406 

9,362 

10. 160 

4.510 

2,394 

1,592 

1,164 

1,.340 

2,201 



Kun-ofi. 



Precipitation. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



1.78 
2.30 
2.77 
2.99 
.643 
1.86 
1.32 
.500 
484 
.333 
.225 
.303 



1.29 



.755 

1.81 

1.16 

.767 

.970 

1.05 

.467 

.248 

.165 

.121 

.139 

.228 



900 



6,339 



.667 



4,670 
5,020 
6,520 
4,010 
2.810 
2.810 
3.400 
2,810 
2,000 
1,750 
1,750 
3,400 



8.626 
5,625 

23, 480 
6,581 
4,493 
G.579 

10, 190 
5,830 
3,205 
2,888 
2.267 

10. 640 



1,750 



7,534 



8,180 
3,700 
4,330 
8,180 
2,810 
3,400 
2,530 
3,400 
2,5.30 
2.530 
4.010 
4,010 



2. 530 



14,990 

-.5,116 

16,900 

22,440 

5,538 

7,'0O7 

4,381 

15, 200 

4,275 

16, 310 

6,341 

11.000 



.583 
2.43 
.682 
.465 
.681 
1.06 
.604 
.3.32 
.299 
.235 
1.10 



1.55 
.630 

1.65 

2.33 
.574 
.726 
.454 

1.68 
.444 

1.69 
.657 

1.14 



10,710 



1.11 



Depth in 
inches. 



2.05 
2.40 
3.19 
3.34 
.741 
2.08 
1.52 
. 576 
.540 
.384 
.261 
- .349 



17.42 



.870 
1.95 
1.34 
.856 
1.12 
1.17 
.538 
.286 
.184 
.140 
.155 
.263 



8.87 



1.03 
.607 

2.80 
.761 
.536 
.760 

1.22 
.696 
.370 
.345 
.262 

1.27 



10.66 



1.79 
.552 

1.90 

2.60 
.662 
.810 
.523 

1.82 
.495 

1.% 
.7.33 

1.31 



Per cent 
of pre- In 
cipita- inches, 
tion. 



45 



42 
163 
64 
35 
33 
24 
12 
12 



30 



28 



3.51 
3.49 
3.59 
3.75 
2.92 
6.57 
4.67 
3.67 
2.29 
2.57 
.91 
.78 



38.72 



2.05 
1.20 
2.08 
2.46 
3.43 
4.78 
4.54 
2.32 
2.25 
1.66 
.79 
2.52 



30.08 



3.12 

1.73 
2.89 
1.72 
3.05 
5.23 
6.63 
4.08 
1.86 
3.47 
1.22 
3.62 



38.52 



Loss in 
inches. 



1.46 

1.09 

.40 

.41 

2.18 

4.49 

3.15 

3.09 

1.75 

2.19 

.66 

.43 



21.30 



1.18 
- .75 

.74 
1.60 
2.31 
3.61 
400 
2.03 
2.07 
1.52 

.64 
2.26 



21.21 



1.12 

.09 

.96 

2.51 

4.47 

5.41 

3.38 

1.49 

3.13 

.96 

2.25 



27.86 



alee conditions December 17-31, 1983; no correction made in estimates. 

6 Ice conditions during portions of January and Februarj'. 1904; no correction made in estimates. 

cice gorge January 27, 1905: no correction made in estimate. 

The following table gives the horsepower, 80 per cent efficiency per 
foot of fall, that may be developed at different rates of discharge and 
shows the number of da^^s on which the flow and the corresponding 



STREAM FLOW: MONOCACY EIVEK. 



161 



horsepower were respectively less than the amounts given in the col- 
umns for "discharge" and "horsepower." 

Discharge and horsepower table for Potomac River at Point of RocTcs, Md.,from 1895 

to 1906. 



Dis- 
charge 
in sec- 
ond-feet. 


Horse- 
power 
SO per 

cent effi- 
ciency 

per foot 
fall. 


Days of deficient flow. 


1895. a 


1890. b 


1897. 


1898. 


1899. 


1900. 


1901. 


1902. 


1903. 


1904. 


1905. 


1906. 


990 
1,100 
1,320 
1,540 
1,760 
1,9S0 
2,200 
2,750 
3,300 
3,850 
4,400 
4,950 
5,500 


90 
100 
120 
140 
160 
180 
200 
250 
300 
350 
400 
450 
500 




















6 
23 
58 
86 
107 
107 
126 
140 
161 
196 
207 
210 
223 






5 
40 

79 
107 
124 
128 
150 
162 
182 
190 
201 
208 










3 
39 
78 
101 
110 
115 
140 
152 
173 
193 
223 
233 












14 

28 

43 

60 

72 

101 

130 

162 

187 

222 

238 









""2 

5 
49 
60 
88 
101 
126 
1.33 


12 
25 
51 
51 
83 
109 
142 
162 
175 
185 
195 


""22' 
59 
74 
103 
128 
139 
161 






3 

9 

29 

66 
98 
107 
137 
162 
186 
195 











6 
8 
29 
59 
71 
95 
106 
128 
136 


23 
50 
82 
133 
152 
172 
.176 
188 
197 


14 
14 
32 
46 
90 
130 
149 
162 
195 


""""9" 
28 
59 
106 
128 
151 



a February 17 to December 31, 1895. 

b Miss'.ng days estimated from MiUville records. 

Note. — The minimum flow during the period covered by the above table was 900 second-feet, giving 
82 horsepower per foot of fall for two three-day periods during October, 1904. 

MONOCACY EIVER NEAR FREDERICK, MD. 

Monocacy River rises in Adams County, Pa., flows somewhat west 
of south, and enters Potomac River in the southeastern part of Fred- 
erick County, Md. Its length below the confluence of Rock and 
Marsh creeks is 55 miles. Its drainage area is 940 square miles. It 
has a number of tributaries on which small mills are located. 

The gaging station was established August 4, 1896, by E. G. Paul. 
It is located at the county bridge on the toll road leading from Fred- 
erick to Mount Pleasant, Md. It is 4 miles northeast of Frederick, 
about 2,000 feet above the mouth of Israel Creek and 3,000 feet 
below the mouth of Tuscarora Creek. 

The channel is straight for 300 feet above and 100 feet below the 
bridge. Both banks are low, liable to overflow, and covered with a 
fringe of trees, but all water passes beneath the bridge. The bed is 
composed of gravel and cobblestones, except near the banks, where it 
is composed of silt and is subject to change. 

Discharge measurements are made from the two-span highway 
bridge, wliich has a total span of 310 feet. The channel at this point 
is divided by a small, low island, which serves as a foundation for the 
pier of the bridge. The right channel is measured from the lower and 
the left from the upper side of the bridge, as the results are better 
than would be furnished by a continuous section on either side of the 
bridge. The pier and island obstruct the flow to some extent, causing 



162 



THE POTOMAC EIVEB BASIN. 



dead water for 20 feet to the right of the pier at low water and eddies 
at high water. The initial point for soundings is a crosscut in the 
face of the parapet wall on the lower wing of the right abutment. 

September 3, 1902, the original wire gage was replaced by a stand- 
ard chain gage which is located in the middle of the first span from 
the right bank and is attached to the bridge floor on the lower side of 
the bridge. The length of the chain from the end of the weight to the 
marker is 35.04 feet. The gage is read twice each day by E. Ij. Derr. 
The bench mark is a hole drilled in the top of a coping stone on the 
lower wing of the right abutment, about 100 feet back from the initial 
point for soundings. Its elevation is 29.17 feet above gage datum. 
On October 31, 1905, the elevation of the top of the pulley was found 
to be 25.47 feet above gage datum. 

Estimates published for 1S96 to 1903 have been revised; 1904 and 
1905 estimates, as previously published, have not been changed. Two 
rating curves have been used to determine the discharge of the river. 
The estimates are probably well within 10 per cent of the true dis- 
charge for normal conditions of flow. Owing to gorging below the 
bridge at high stages, the tangent has been considered to give the best 
results above gage height 12.0 feet. Ice conditions probably affect the 
discharge to a considerable extent. 

A summary of the records gives the foUowiag results: Maximum 
discharge for twenty-four hours, 20,460 second-feet; miaimum dis- 
charge for twenty-four hours, 49 second-feet; mean annual discharge 
for ten j'-ears, 1,130 second-feet; mean annual rainfall for ten years, 
45.04 inches. 

Discharge measurements of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. 



Date. 



1896. 

August 5 

September 16 

November 19 



February 9 . 
February 24 . 

March 9 , 

April 10 

Julys 

September 3 . 
October 29 a. . 



1897. 



January 26. 
August 20.. 



1899. 



May 22. 
September 6. 



1900. 
June 29 

September 20 



July 31. 



1901. 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
4.10 
3.80 
4.20 



6.00 
8.95 
6.00 
7.55 
4.30 
4.15 
4.05 



7.55 
6.95 



5.20 
4.00 



4.10 
3.80 



4.10 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 

176 

88 

206 



1,019 

3,569 

1,085 

2,264 

220 

182 

122 



2,342 
1,605 



633 
1-53 



191 



179 



Date. 



1901— Continued. 
December 28 



1902. 
September 4 



1903. 

March 13 

April 17 

April 18 

September 14. . . 
November 10. .. 



1904. 
July 12 

September 26. .. 
October 206 ... 



1905. 



March 11 . . . 
March 12... 

June 21 

October 31. 



May 31. 



1906. 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
6.30 



3.74 



6.49 
11.03 
9.40 
4.60 
4.32 



5.18 
3.96 
3.92 



10.13 
9.73 
4.16 
4.68 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
1,226 



100 



1,282 

4,708 

3,733 

356 

212 



475 
100 
98 



4,659 

4,253 

170 

319 



328 



o Measurement made at mouth of river. 



6 Measurement made above bridge by wading. 



STREAM flow: MONOCACY RIVER. 
Daily gage height, in feet, of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. 



163 



8 . 
9. 
10. 

11 . 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 



Day. 



1896. 



Aug. 



4.1 
4.1 

4.0 
4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 

3.8 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 



Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


3.6 


4.8 


3.9 


4.8 


3.6 


4.4 


4.0 


4.5 


3.6 


4.1 


4.0 


4.5 


3.6 


4.0 


4.0 


4.3 


3.6 


3.9 


5.45 


4.3 


3.7 


3.9 


7.5 


4.1 1 


3.8 


3.9 


5.0 


4.1 1 


3.9 


3.9 


4.5 


4.1 


3.9 


3.9 


4.5 


4.2 


3.8 


3.9 


4.8 


4.2 


3.7 


3.8 


4.5 


4.3 


3.7 


3.8 


4.5 


4.2 


3.7 


3.9 


4.3 


4.1 


3.7 


4.2 


4.3 


4.1 


3.7 


4.1 


4.2 


4.1 


3.75 


4.1 


4.2 


4.1 



Day. 




Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


3.8 


3.9 


4.0 


4.2 


4.4 


3.9 


3.9 


4.2 


4.15 


4.0 


3.9 


4.2 


3.9 


4.0 


3.8 


4.2 


3.9 


4.0 


3.9 


4.2 


3.9 


3.9 


3.9 


4.0 


3.8 


3.9 


3.9 


4.0 


3.7 


3.8 


3.9 


4.0 


3.7 


3.9 


3.9 


4.0 


3.9 


3.8 


3.9 


4.0 


3.9 


3.8 


3.9 


4.0 


3.8 


3.8 


3.9 


4.0 


3.7 


3.8 


3.9 


4.35 


3.6 


5.0 


3.9 


5.2 


3.7 




3.9 





Deo. 



4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
4.1 

4.2 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.0 
4.0 
4.2 



Day. 



1897.1 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

IS 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22..... 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27... 

28 

29 

30 

31 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


4.2 
4.2 
4.2 


4.4 
4.4 
5.0 


5.7 
5.5 
5.6 


5.0 
5.0 
4.9 


4.6 
6.3 
6.2 


5.0 
4.8 
4.7 


4.2 
4.2 
4.3 


4.9 
4.7 
4.5 


4.2 
4.2 


6.0 

5.5 


7.5 
7.5 


4.9 
6.9 


6.2 
6.0 


5.0 
7.5 


4.2 
4.2 


4.4 
4.4 


4.3 


8.4 


8.0 


5.9 


5.9 


5.6 


4.2 


4.3 


4.3 


15.0 


7.6 


5.6 


5.6 


5.4 


4.2 


4.3 


4.5 


8.45 


6.2 


5.4 


5.4 


4.95 


4.2 


4.2 


4.4 


6.0 


6.0 


9.3 


5.1 


6.15 


4.9 


4.2 


4.3 


5.6 


6.5 


8.55 


5.0 


5.8 


4.5 


4.2 


4.2 


5.2 


6.2 


6.55 


5.1 


5.3 


4.2 


10.6 


4.3 


5.2 


5.8 


6.6 


5.1 


5. u' 


4.2 


8.5 


4.3 


4.9 


5.8 


5.7 


15.6 


4.9 


7.0 


5.45 


4.3 


"4.6 


5.7 


5.8 


15.6 


4.7 


5.2 


4.45 


4.0 


4.6 


5.7 


5.9 


10.9 


4.7 


4.6 


4.25 


4.0 


5.7 


5.8 


6.2 


7.4 


4.7 


4.3 


5.35 


4.0 


7.4 


5.4 


5.8 


6.8 


4.8 


4.3 


4.85 


4.0 


7.4 


6.6 


5.8 


6.5 


4.8 


5.1 


4.3 


4.3 


6.7 


7.0 


5.5 


6.1 


4.7 


4.95 


4.1 


4.7 


6.1 


9.8 


5.3 


5.8 


4.7 


5.25 


4.1 


4.5 


5.7 


7.6 


5.1 


5.9 


4.9 


4.95 


4.1 


5.5 


12.1 


6.6 


5.0 


6.0 


4.7 


6.4 


5.5 


5.4 


14.6 


6.5 


5.0 


5.5 


4.5 


5.65 


4.8 


4.8 


8.85 


7.4 


5.0 


5.3 


4.5 


4.95 


16.2 


5.2 


8.3 


7.3 


4.9 


6.7 


• 4.4 


4.45 


6.75 


.5.0 


7.0 


6.1 


4.9 


6.0 


4.4 


4.35 


5.75 


5.0 


6.5 


5.8 


4.9 


5.3 


4.4 


7.7 


5.1 


5.0 


6.0 


5.6 


4.8 


5.2 


4.4 


9.9 


4.7 


5.0 




5.4 


4.7 


5.0 


4.2 


7.8 


4.35 


4.8 




5.3 


4.6 


4.9 


4.2 


6.1 


4.15 


4.5 




5.2 




5.0 




5.3 


4.15 



Sept. 



4.15 
4.05 
4.15 
4.05 
4.05 

3.95 
3.95 
3.95 
3.95 
3.95 

3.95 1 
3.95 ' 
3.95 
3.85 
3.85 

3.85 

4.45 
4.45 
4.05 
3.85 

3.85 
3.95 
3.95 
5.65 
5.15 

4.65 
3.95 
3.95 
3.95 
3.95 



Oct. 


Nov. 


3.95 


4.15 


3.95 


14.85 


,3.8.5 


8.15 


3.85 


6.55 


3.75 


5.35 


3.85 


5.05 


3.75 


4.85 


3.75 


4.75 


3.75 


5.55 


3.85 


5.55 


3.85 


4.85 


3.85 


4.75 


4.25 


4.65 


4.15 


4.55 


4.05 


5.15 


3.95 


5.55 


3.95 


4.95 


3. 85 


4.75 


3.75 


4.65 


3.75 


4.55 


3.85 


4.65 


3.95 


4.55 


3.95 


4.75 


3.95 


5.6 


4.05 


4.85 


4.35 


6.55 


4.25 


7.05 


4. 15 


6.55 


4.05 


5.85 


4.05 


5.65 


3.95 





Dec. 



5.25 
5.15 
5.15 
8.15 
12.4 

8.65 

7.2 

6.55 

5.95 

5.75 

5.55 
6.85 
6.65 
10.65 
14.6 

13.85 
7.15 
6.65 
6.15 
5.95 

5.85 
6.55 
6.05 
5.65 
5.15 

5.55 
5.45 
5.45 
5.35 
5.35 
5.45 



a River frozen at the gage J.muary 25 to February 2, 1897. All gage heights from July 3 to December 
31, 1897, are hable to errors of one or two tenths owing to mcorrect wire length. 



164 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


.-Vpr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1898. o 
1 . . 


5.25 
4.85 
5.65 
5.35 
5.15 

5.15 
5.15 
5.25 
5.35 
6,15 

6.75 
6.85 
7.75 
8.15 
11.55 

11.05 
8.4 
7.15 
6.55 
6.55 

8.65 
9.15 
12.4 
9.15 
7.15 

8.5 
8.0 
7.3 
6.5 
5.9 
5.7 

5.4 
5.0 
5.5 
6.0 
6.3 

12.75 
14.85 
12.5 
10.2 
6.1 

6.1 
5.7 
5.8 
6.0 
6.8 

6.6 
6.6 
7.1 
6.4 
5.6 

5.6 
5.6 
5.6 
5.7 
10.4 

8.2 
6.5 
5.2 
5.2 
5.2 
5.2 


5.4 
6.5 
6.5 
6.5 
6.1 

6.1 
5.5 
5.0 
5.2 

5.4 

5.4 
6.0 
6.2 
5.6 
5.5 

5.3 
5.2 

5.1 
6.4 
6.5 

14.8 
12.0 
7.5 
6.5 
6.3 

5.7 
6.6 
5.4 

5.2 
5.2 
5.8 
5.6 
5.9 

5.7 
5.5 
5.4 
6.0 
6.0 

6.0 
6.0 
6.0 
6.0 
6.0 

6.0 
6.2 
6.8 
7.9 
9.0 

12.5 
13.5 
15.65 
11.6 
9.1 

9.1 
17.8 
12.5 


5.4 
5.3 
5.3 
5.7 
6.2 

6.0 
5.9 
5.5 
5.3 
5.2 

5.2 
5.1 
5.1 
5.1 
5.0 

5.0 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 
4.9 

6.1 
7.3 

7.6 
7.6 
10.75 

8.5 
6.6 
6.6 
7.7 
9.5 
7.9 

11.5 

10.1 

9.2 

8.7 

17.2 

11.45 
8.9 
7.8 
7.5 
7.4 

7.4 
7.3 
7.1 
6.5 
6.5 

9.7 
6.9 
7.9 
13.9 
10.1 

7.9 
7.8 
7.6 
7.2 
6.7 

6.7 
6.7 
10.15 
11.0 
8.1 
7.9 


7.1 
6.9 
6.0 
5.8 
5.8 

5.8 
5.8 
5.5 
5.5 
5.2 

5.2 
5.2 
5.1 
5.1 
5.3 

5.9 
5.5 
5.0 
4.9 
4.9 

4.9 
4.8 
4.8 
5.0 
5.3 

5.3 
5.0 
4.9 
4.9 
4.8 

7.1 
6.9 
6.5 
6.1 
•6.0 

6.0 
7.6 
12.6 
7.8 
6.9 

6.5 
6.2 
5.9 
5.6 
5.6 

5.6 
5.6 
5.6 
5.6 
5.4 

5.2 
5.1 
5.1 
5.0 
5.0 

5.0 
5.0 
4.9 
4.9 
4.8 


4.7 
4.7 
4.6 
4.6 
4.6 

4.6 
6.2 
8.25 
13.4 
7.5 

6.5 
6.5 
8.2 
6.0 
5.6 

6.75 
11.55 
7.5 
6.5 
6.5 

6.4 
6.0 
6.0 
6.6 
6.7 

6.6 
6.3 
5.9 
5.8 
5.7 
5.6 

4.8 
4.8 
5.0 
4.9 
4.9 

• 4.8 
4.8 
5.2 
6.6 
5.6 

5.4 
5.8 
5.4 
5.0 
5.0 

4.9 
5.2 

6.5 
7.7 
6.9 

6.3 
5.2 
5.2 
5.0 
4.9 

4.8 
4.7 
4.7 
4.6 
5.0 
5.0 


5.5 
5.4 
5.3 
5.2 
5.1 

5.1 
5.1 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 

5.0 
5.0 
5.0 
4.9 
4.9 

4.8 
4.7 
4.6 
4.5 - 
4.5 

4.5 

4.5 
4.5 
4.4 
4.4 

4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 

7.1 
11.1 
7.05 
5.2 
4.9 

4.7 
4.5 
4.5 
5.5 
6.85 

6.9 
6.5 
5.2 
4.9 
6.2 

5.1 
4.8 
4.5 
4.4 
4.4 

4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 


4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.4 

4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 

4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.3 

5.4 
4.4 
4.1 
4.0 
3.9 

3.9 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.0 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.0 
4.0 

4.5 
4.4 
4.2 
4.3 
4.2 

4.2 
4.1 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 

4.5 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.1 

4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
4.3 

4.5 
4.4 
4.3 
4.2 
4.0 
3.9 


4.7 
4.6 
4.4 
4.1 
7.65 

6.9 
5.1 
4.2 
4.1 

6.7 

12.4 
6.0 
5.4 
5.4 
4.6 

4.5 
4.5 
6.35 
10.1 
7.0 

5.5 
4.9 
4.6 
4.5 

4.4 

4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.1 
4.1 
4.0 

3.9 
4.0 
5.1 
5.0 
5.0 

4.9 
4.5 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

4.0 
4.2 
4.0 
3.9 
3.9 

3.9 
3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

y.8 

3.8 

4.7 

4.95 

4.7 

4.3 

4.3 


4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
3.9 

3.9 
3.9 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 

3.9 

4.15 

4.2 

4.1 

3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.8 

4.3 
4.3 

5.4 
5.0 
4.5 

4.0 
3.9 
3.8 
3.7 
4.0 

4.0 
3.9 . 
3.9 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
6.0 

5.3 
5.0 
4.9 
4.5 
4.3 

5.25 

5.5 

5.3 

5.0 

4.5 


3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.9 
3.9 
3.8 

3.8 
3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
4.0 

4.2 
3.9 
5.5 
6.5 
5.6 

4.9 
11.55 
9.0 
7.1 
5.2 

5.2 
5.5 
5.3 
5.1 
5.1 
6.0 

4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.8 

3.8 
3.9 
3.9 
4.1 
4.1 . 

4.0 
4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 

3.9 
3.9 
4.0 
3.9 
3.9 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
5.0 


5.5 
5.3 

4.7 
4.6 
4.5 

4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.7 

9.7 
6.9 
5.4 
5.3 
5.2 

5.0 
5.5 
6.1 
12.35 
9.5 

6.85 

5.9 

5.9 

6.3 

5.9 

5.4 
5.2 
5.2 
5.3 
5.7 

7.3 
6.4 
6.3 
6.0 
5.3 

5.0 
4.5 
4.4 
4.3 
4.3 

4.2 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
5.3 

4.7 

4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 


6 3 


2 


6 2 


3 


5 5 


4 

5 


7.0 
17.95 


6 . . 


8 5 


7 


7 


8 


6.4 


9 


5.7 


10 


5.5 


11 . ... 


5 3 


12 


5.3 


13 


5.3 


14 


5.3 


15 


5.2 


16 - . 


5.0 


17 


5.0 


18 


5.0 


19.. 


6.0 


20 


9.6 


21 


8.6 


22 


8.8 


23 


13.6 


24 


8.0 


25 


7.5 


26 


6.1 


27 


6.0 


28 


5.9 


29 


5.5 


30 


5.5 


31 


5.5 


1899.6 
1 


4.1 


2 


4.1 


3 


4.1 


4 


4.1 


5 . 


4.1 


6 


4.0 


7 

8 


4.0 
3.9 


9 


3.9 


10 


3.9 


11 . . 


3.9 


12 


4.8 


13 


5.95 


14 


5.5 


15 


4.5 


16 . 


4.4 


17 . -j'. 


4.4 


18 


4.3 


19 


4.2 


20 .... 


4.2 


21 


4.5 


22 


4.4 


23 . . 


4.3 


24 


7.1 


25 


6.9 


26 


6.2 


27 


6.0 


28 . . . 


5.1 


29 


ofl.l 


30 


5.1 


%l 


a5.4 



o River frozen February 2-9, 1898. 

b River frozen at the gage January 2, February 9-21, and December 28-31, 1899. 



STREAM FLOW: MONOCACY RIVEE. 165 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1900. o 
1 


5.4 
5.4 
5.4 
5.2 
5.0 

4.9 
4.8 
4.5 
4.5 
4.9 

5.0 
10.2 
9.2 
5.4 
4.9 

4.8 
4.6 
4.6 
4.9 
9.0 

9.5 
7.05 
6.5 
6.0 

5,7 

5.5 
5.1 
4.9 
4.6 
4.5 
4.5 

4.4 
4.2 
4.2 
4.3 
4.3 

4.2 
4.1 
4.0 
4.1 
4.1 

5.5 
7.6 
6.9 
6.4 
5.9 

4.9 
4.8 
4.7 
4.7 
4.5 

4.3 
4.3 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.8 
4.7 
4.7 


5.1 
5.1 
5.1 
5.1 
5.2 

5.1 

5.3 

6.9 

7.55 

6.9 

5.3 
5.5 
15.1 
12.85 
.7.0 

6.5 
5.9 
5.9 
5.8 
5.5 

5.5 
20.8 
15.0 
10.5 

8.5 

7.1 
6.5 
6.5 

4.6 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.8 

4.8 
4.7 
4.6 
4.5 
4.5 

4.5 
4.5 
4.4 
4.3 
4.3 

4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.4 
4.9 

5.0 
5.1 
5.0 
5.0 
4.9 

4.8 
4.6 
4.5 


13.45 
12.0 
9.5 
8.2 
7.3 

7.1 
8.0 
7.5 
6.5 
6.3 

6.3 
5.9 
5.7 
5.6 
5.5 

5.4 
5.4 
5.4 
5.4 
13.5 

10.2 
9.1 

8.2 
6.5 
6.1 

6.0 
5.9 
5.7 
5.5 
5.5 
6.5 

4.5 
4.5 
4.4 
5.0 
5.5 

5.3 
5.0 
5.0 
5.1 
5.5 

20.5 
11.9 
8.0 
7.3 
6.9 

6.1 
5.9 
5.8 
5.6 
5.3 

10.5 
7.6 
7.1 
6.0 
6.0 

6.1 
13.55 
10.4 

7.4 

5.9 

5.8 


6.4 
5.7 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.4 
5.3 
5.2 
5.1 
5.1 

5.0 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 

4.9 
4.9 
5.1 
5.2 
5.1 

5.0 
5.0 
5.5 
5.6 
5.4 

4.9 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.7 

5.7 

5.6 

18.0 

15.5 

10.5 

7.9 
8.3 
7.2 
6.5 
6.2 

5.9 
5.6 
5.6 
5.4 
6.9 

6.5 
6.3 
5.9 
5.5 
9.6 

14.6 
9.6 
8.1 

8.5 
7.9 

7.3 
6.9 
6.4 
6.1 
6.0 


4.7 
4.7 
4.7 
4.9 
4.8 

4.6 
. 4.5 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 

4.4 
4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
6.5 
7.0 

6.5 
5.9 
4.9 
4.8 
4.7 

4.6 
4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
4.5 

5.9 
5.8 
5.6 
5.4 
5.3 

5.2 
5.1 
5.1 
5.1 
5.5 

5.5 
5.4 
5.3 
5.1 
4.9 

4.9 

4.9 

4.9 

4.85 

4.8 

4.8 
4.8 
11.3 
9.1 
7.9 

7.1 
9.0 
9.2 
11.5 
9.1 
8.6 


4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 

4.3 
4.2 
4.2 . 
4.2 
4.1 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.4 

4.8 
5.0 - 
5.8 
6.0 
5.1 

4.9 
4.5 
4.4 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.1 
4.1 
4.0 

6.0 
5.6 
5.4 
5.3 
5.3 

5.0 
5.5 
7.1 
5.4 
5.2 

4.9 
4.9 
8.0 
6.4 
6.75 

7.45 

7.2 

6.1 

5.9 

5.4 

5.2 
5.2 
5.1 
4.9 
4.7 

4.6 
4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
4.5 


4.0 
4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 

3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
3.7 
3.7 

3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 

3.6 
3.6 
3.6 
3.7 
4.55 

4.55 
3.75 
4.05 
5.45 
4.75 

4.15 
4.15 
4.05 
3.95 
3.95 
3.95 

4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 

4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.1 

4.1 
5.1 
5.5 
4.8 
4.8 

4.9 
5.0 
4.9 
5.2 
5.1 

5.1 
4.9 
4.5 
4.4 
4.2 

4.2 
4.5 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.1 


3.95 
3.85 
3.85 
3.75 
3.65 

3.65 
3.65 
3.65 
3.65 
3.65 

3.55 
3.55 
3.45 
3.45 
3.45 

3.45 
3.55 
3.85 
3.75 
3.75 

3.75 
4.75 
4.65 
4.05 
4.05 

3.95 
3.85 
5.45 
5.25 
4.25 
3.95 

4.1 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

5.4 
7.1 
6.0 
4.7 
4.6 

4.2 
4.1 
4.6 
4.4 
4.3 

5.6 
4.9 
5.1 
4.5 
6.4 

6.1 
5.2 
4.5 
4.6 
5.0 

4.9 
4.5 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 


3.85 

3.75 

3.75 

3.6 

3.6 

3.65 

3.65 

3.65 

3.6 

3.0 

3.55 

3.55 

3.55 

3.5 

3.5 

3.85 

3.85 

3.85 

3.8 

3.8 

3.8 

3.7 

3.65 

3.5 

3.5 

3.5 
3.5 
3.6 

"i.Qi" 

4.3 
4.9 
4.5 

4.4 
4.3 

4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

5.5 

4.7 
4.5 
4.5 
4.4 

4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.1 
4.1 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.7 
6.7 


3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 

3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.9 
4.1 

4.1 
4.1 
3.9 
3.8 
3.7 

3.7 
3.7 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
3.7 

5.2 
5.1 
4.9 
4.8 
4.6 

4.4 
4.3 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.1 
4.1 
4.8 
5.0 

4.9 
4.8 
4.4 
4.2 
4.2 

4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 


3.7 
3.7 
3.7 
4.1 
4.1 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
3.9 
3.9 

3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 

3.9 
3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.9 
3.9 
3.9 

9.2 
7.3 
7.1 
6.9 
6.3 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 
4.3 

4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.5 
9.4 
7.5 

5.9 
5.5 
5.3 
5.1 
5.0 


5.2 


2 


4.3 


3 


4.3 


4 - -.. 


7.2 


5 


12.1 


6 


6.0 


7 


5.5 


8 . - . - 


5.2 


9 


4.9 


10 


4.5 


11 


4.3 


12 


4.2 


13 


4.0 


14 


4.0 


15 

16 


4.0 
4.0 


17 


4.0 


18 


4.0 


19 


3.9 


20 


3.9 


21 


3.9 


22 


4.0 


23 


4.0 


24 . 


4.1 


25 


4.1 


26 


4.1 


27 . 


4.1 


28.. . . 


4.1 


29 


4.0 


30 


4.0 


31 


4.5 


1901.6 

1 

2 


4.9 
4.7 


3 

4 

5 

6 


4.9 

4.9 
4.9 

4.9 


7 

8 

9 


4.8 
4.8 
4.8 


10 


7.5 


11.. 


6.5 


12 


6.1 


13 


5.3 


14 


5.4 


15 


19.75 


16 


9.5 


17 


7.1 


18 


6.9 


19 


6.5 


20 


6.2 


21.. . 


6.0 


22 


5.9 


23 


5.9 


24 


5.7 


25 


5.5 


26. 


5.5 


27 


7.35 


28 


6.5 


29 


13.25 


30 


18.5 


31 1 


12.5 



a River frozen at the gage January 1-6 and February 1-4, 1900. 

6 No gage weight on the wire June 1-4, 1901; gage heights estimated by the observer. 



166 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 



1902. a 



190.3.6 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dee. 


8.5 


5.9 


25.2 


7.0 


5.2 


4.3 


6.9 


5.2 


3.7 


4.6 


5.1 


9.5 


8.2 


5.9 


14.5 


6.9 


5.1 


4.3 


6.4 


4.5 


3.7 


6.0 


5.0 


7.9 


7.1 


5.9 


10.9 


10.5 


5.1 


4.3 


4.9 


4.2 


3.7 


5.1 


4.9 


16.0 


6.0 


8.5 


10.2 


8.5 


5.0 


4.2 


4.8 


4.1 


3.7 


4.2 


4.7 


8.6 


7.9 


8.5 


9.6 


8.3 


4.9 


4.2 


4.8 


4.1 


3.9 


4.5 


4.6 


8.2 


8.2 


8.1 


9.2 


8.0 


4.9 


4.1 


4.8 


4.2 


3.7 


7.1 


4.5 


7.9 


8.1 


7.9 


9.1 


7.9 


4.8 


4.1 


4.8 


4.2 


3.6 


5.2 


4.4 


7.8 


7.5 


7.8 


8.9 


7.5 


4.8 


4.1 


4.6 


4.1 


3.6 


5.1 


4.6 


7.8 


5.9 


7.4 


9.9 


17.9 


4.7 


4.1 


4.5 


4.0 


3.6 


5.0 


4.5 


7.5 


5.5 


6.9 


15,2 


16.9 


4.7 


4.1 


4.4 


4.0 


3.6 


4.9 


4.5 


7.4 


5.4 


6.5 


15.5 


8.2 


4.7 


4.1 


4.3 


4.0 


3.6 


5.5 


4.5 


.7.9 


5.4 


6.5 


12.2 


7.5 


4.6 


4.0 


4.2 


4.0 


3.55 


12.8 


4.4 


9.2 


5.3 


6.5 


14.5 


7.3 


4.6 


7.1 


4.1 


3.9 


3.5 


8.1 


4.4 


11.5 


5.3 


6.3 


10.1 


6.9 


4.6 


5.5 


4.0 


3.9 


3.5 


6.5 


4.4 


9.5 


5.2 


6.1 


10.0 


6.5 


4.6 


4.2 


4.0 


3.8 


3.5 


5.1 


4.3 


8.2 


5.1 


5.9 


9.5 


6.3 


4.6 


4.2 


3.9 


3.8 


3.5 


4.9 


4.2 


15.3 


4.9 


5.9 


14.6 


6.1 


4.5 


4.2 


3.9 


3.8 


3.5 


4.7 


4.2 


14.5 


4.9 


5.9 


10.2 


5.9 


4.5 


4.1 


3.9 


3.8 


3.5 


4.6 


4.2 


8.5 


4.9 


5.9 


8.4 


5.8 


4.5 


4.1 


4.1 


3.8 


3.5 


4.5 


4.6 


8.2 


4.9 


6.1 


8.1 


5.7 


4.5 


4.1 


4.1 


3.8 


3.6 


4.4 


4.5 


9.5 


7.2 


10.2 


7.9 ' 


5.6 


4.5 


4.2 


5.2 


3.7 


3.6 


4.3 


4.4 


10.5 


18.05 


14.4 


7.4 


5.5 


4.5 


4.2 


4.3 


3.7 


3.6 


4.2 


4.3 


17.1 


7.1 


9.6 


7.1 


5.4 


4.5 


4.1 


4.2 


3.7 


3.5 


4.2 


4.2 


14.2 


6.9 


9.4 


6.9 


5.3 


4.4 


4.1 


4.1 


3.6 


3.5 


4.2 


4.2 


8.4 


6.1 


10.5 


6.5 


5.3 


4.4 


4.1 


4.1 


3.6 


3.8 


4.1 


4.2 


7.5 


6.9 


24.0 


6.3 


5.2 


4.4 


5.9 


4.0 


3.6 


4.0 


4.1 


5.9 


7.2 


11.15 


21.4 


6.0 


5.1 


4.5 


5.6 


4.0 


3.6 


9.1 


4.1 


9.4 


6.9 


7.5 


19.35 


6.0 


5.0 


4.5 


5.1 


3.9 


4.1 


5.1 


13.7 


7.9 


6.5 


6.9 




5.9 


5.2 


4.4 


4.5 


3.9 


3.9 


4.9 


9.5 


5.9 


6.4 


6.5 




5.6 


5.2 


4.3 


4.5 


4.5 


3.7 


4.8 


5.5 


5.9 


6.2 


6.2 




6.2 




4.3 




5.5 


3.7 




5.3 




5.5 


5.5 


7.6 


21.4 


7.9 


5.6 


6.5 


9.5 


5.3 


6.5 


4.4 


4.3 


4.3 


15.8 


7.3 


9.5 


7.4 


5.5 


6.4 


8.1 


5.1 


5.9 


4.4 


4.3 


4.2 


13.35 


8.3 


8.1 


6.9 


5.5 


6.1 


7.5- 


4.9 


5.5 


4.3 


4.3 


4.2 


10.5 


16.35 


7.9 


7.9 


5.5 


5.1 


8.1 


4.9 


5.4 


4.3 


4.3 


4.2 


9.5 


10.5 


7.5 


. 7.2 


5.4 


4.9 ■ 


11.5 


4.9 


5.2 


4.3 


4.3 


4.1 


8.2 


7.9 


7.2 


6.5 


5.3 


4.9 


9.5 


4.9 


5.0 


4.3 


4.3 


4.1 


7.3 


7.5 


6.9 


6.9 


5.3 


. 5.8 


7.3 


5.4 


■ 4.9 


4.4 


4.3 


4.6 


6.9 


7.3 


7.5 


7.5 


5.3 


5.8 


6.2 


5.2 


4.8 


5.2 


4.3 


4.2 


6.3 


7.5 


8.6 


12.2 


5.2 


5.4 


6.1 


5.1 


5.4 


7.2 


4.3 


4.2 


6.9 


6.9 


7.4 


7.9 


5.1 


5.1 


5.9 


4.9 


7.2 


5.2 


4.3 


4.2 


9.6 


7.1 


7.2 


7.2 


5.0 


5.8 


5.8 


4.9 


6.9 


6.1 


4.3 


4.2 


9.3 


10.5 


7.1 


6.7 


4.9 


8.1 


9.15 


4.8 


5.5 


5.9 


4.3 


4.1 


8.6 


7.5 


6.3 


7.4 


4.9 


6.5 


18.8 


4.8 


4.9 


5.6 


4.3 


4.1 


8.4 


7.3 


6.2 


19.3 


4.8 


6.2 


8.5 


4.7 


4.7 


5.2 


4.3 


4.2 


8.2 


7.8 


6.2 


21.6 


4.8 


5.8 


7.5 


4.7 


4.6 


5.1 


4.3 


4.5 


8.2 


11.2 


6.2 


20.4 


4.7 


5.4 


6.8 


7.5 


4.6 


4.9 


4.3 


4.6 


7.9 


7.9 


6.1 


11.4 


4.7 


5.2 


6.5 


7.1 


6.5 


4.9 


4.4 


4.8 


7.3 


7.4 


5.9 


9.4 


4.8 


5.6 


8.2 


6.2 


11.1 


5.5 


4.9 


4.6 


7.3 


7.1 


5.9 


8.4 


4.8 


5.4 


11.5 


5.9 


5.8 


5.4 


4.7 


4.2 


7.2 


6.9 


5.8 


7.9 


4.7 


6.65 


6.9 


5.7 


5.2 


5.2 


4.5 


6.5 


8.55 


6.7 


5.8 


7.4 


4.7 


7.5 


6.4 


4.9 


4.9 


4.9 


4.4 


12.05 


11.7 


6.4 


9.4 


7.1 


4.7 


6.4 


6.2 


4.7 


4.8 


4.7 


4.3 


6.5 


8.6 


6.2 


17.1 


6.7 


4.7 


5.7 


5.6 


4.6 


4.7 


4.6 


4.3 


4.9 


7.1 


6.2 


18.2 


6.5 


6.5 


6.3 


5.4 


4.5 


4.7 


4.6 


4.3 


4.8 


6.5 


6.2 


8.6 


6.4 


6.1 


5.9 


5.3 


4.5 


4.6 


4.5 


4.3 


4.7 


6.3 


6.2 


7.9 


6.2 


5.4 


5.6 


5.2 


4.8 


4.5 


4.5 


4.3 


4.6 


6.1- 


7.3 


7.5 


6.1 


4.9 


5.6 


5.2 


4.7 


4.5 


4.4 


4.3 


4.5 


9.8 


21.2 


7.1 


5.9 


4.9 


5.6 


5.1 


10.5 


4.4 


4.4 


4.2 


4.5 


10.6 




6.5 


5.7 


4.8 


21.2 


5.1 


12.1 


4.4 


4.4 


4.2 


4.6 


11.2 




9.5 


5.7 


14.8 


14.9 


5.4 


7.9 


4.4 


4.3 


4.2 


4.5 


8.1 




13.9 




7.5 




5.4 


7.4 




4.3 




4.5 



a River frozen nt gage February 4-19, 1902. 
1902, the gage being broken. 
i River frozen at gage January 12-20, 1903. 



Observer estimated gage heights March 20 to April 8 



STKEAM flow: monocacy kiver. 167 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md.- — Continued. 



Day. 



Jan. 



1904.O 
1 


4.6 


2 : 


4.9 


3 


4.8 


4 


5.5 


S 


5.1 


6 


4.9 


7 


4.7 


8 - . 


4.6 


9 


4.6 


10 


4.6 


11 


4.6 


12 


4.6 


13 


4.6 


14 


4.6 


15 


4.6 


16 


4.6 




4.5 


18 


4.5 


19 


4.5 


20 


4.5 


21 


4.5 




4.5 


23 


39.9 


24 


11.5 


25 


6.1 


26 


5.9 


27 


4.6 


28 


4.6 


29 


5.5 


30 


6.1 


31 


5.9 


1905.6 
1 


6.0 


2 


6.4 


3 


6.8 


4 


6.4 


5 


6.2 


6 


6.2 


7 . 


17.4 


8 


9.8 


9 


7.2 


10 


6.8 


ll 


6.6 


12 


6.4 


13 


6.4 


14 


6.2 


15 


5.8 


16 


5.8 


17 


6.0 


18 


6.2 


19 


6.4 


20 


6.4 


21 


6.8 


22 


5.6 


23 


5.4 


24 


5.2 


25 


5.4 


26 


0.2 


27 


5.8 


28 


5.6 


29 


5 6 


30 


5.6 


31 


5.6 



Feb. 



5.0 
4.9 
5.4 
4.9 
4.6 

4.7 
8.2 
14.15 
6.4 
6.1 

6.0 
5.4 
5.1 
4.9 
4.9 

5.0 
4.9 
4.9 
4.9 
4.9 

5.0 
13.75 
12.2 
9.0 
6.8 

5.2 
4.9 
4.8 
4.8 



5.2 
5.0 
5.0 
4.8 
4.8 

4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 

4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 

4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 

4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.8 

5.0 
5.6 
5.6 



Mar. 



8.1 
7.5 
6.2 
6.2 
5.9 

6.0 
IT.O 
17.2 
8.2 
6.5 

6.6 
7.0 
6.2 
5.9 
5.8 

5.6 
5.5 
5.6 
5.5 
5.8 

6.2 
6.5 
6.8 
6.2 
5.9 

5.7 
5.7 
5.4 
5.2 
5.2 
5.4 



5.8 
5.8 
5.4 
5.2 
6.6 

6.8 
7.4 
7.4 
10.9 
14.6 

11.8 
9.8 
9.0 
8.8 
8.2 

8.2 
9.0 
9.2 
8.6 
9.4 

14.8 
10.4 
8.8 
8.2 
8.0 

8.0 
7.6 
6.8 
6.4 
6.4 
6.2 



Apr. 



5.9 
7.2 
6.4 
5.5 
5.4 

5.5 
5.4 
5.6 
7.8 
7.2 

6.4 
5.9 
5.6 
5.4 
5.1 

5.2 
5.0 
4.9 
4.9 
4.8 

4.8 
4.6 
4.6 
4.7 
4 6 

4.8 
4.9 
5.3 
5.3 
5.1 



6.0 
5.8 
5.6 
5.4 
6.4 

6.4 
6.2 
5.8 
5.6 
5.4 

7.6 
6.8 
6.4 
6.0 
5.8 

5.6 
5.4 
5.4 
5.2 
5.2 

5.2 
5.0 
5.0 
5.0 

4.8 

4.8 
4.8 
5.8 
5.2 
5.0 



May. 



4.9 
4.8 
4.7 
4.8 
4.7 

4.8 
4.7 
5.0 
4.9 

5.7 

5.4 
4.8 
4.7 
4.8 
5.0 

5.0 
4.8 
4.9 
5.2 
5.2 

4.9 
4.8 
4.6 
4.6 
4.4 

4.5 
4.4 
4.5 
4.3 
4.4 
4.5 



4.8 
4.8 
4.8 
4.6 
4.6 

4.6 
4.6 
4.6 
4.6 
4.6 

4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.8 
5.0 

4.8 
4.S- 
4.8 
4.8 
4.6 

4.6 
4.6 
4.4 
4.4 
4.2 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 



June. 



7.5 
6.4 
6.0 
5.3 

7.4 

7.0 
6.8 
5.7 
5.4 
5.2 

5.4 
5.1 
5.0 
4.7 
4.6 

4.6 
4.5 
4.6 
4.5 
9.8 

7.4 
5.9 
4.9 
4.5 
4.4 

4.3 
4.1 
4.2 
4.2 
4.3 



4.6 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 
4.2 

4.2 
'4.6 
7.4 
7.2 
5.6- 

4.4 
4.9 
8.3 
6.0 
5.2 

4.8 
4.6 
4.4 
4.4 
4.4 

4.1 
4.3 
6.3 

7.4 
7.5 



6.5 
5.1 
4.9 
4.6 



July. 



4.5 
4.3 
4.3 

4.2 
4.2 

4.2 
4.4 
6.2 
7.1 
8.2 

7.3 
6.1 

7.4 
6.4 
5.2 

4.2 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
4.0 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
5.1 
5.1 

5.1 
5.1 
5.0 
4.9 
4.4 
4.2 



4.5 
5.2 
4.9 

4.6 
4.5 

8.0 
7.9 
7.6 
6.5 
5.6 

4.9 
4.9 
4.9 
6.1 
10.6 

7.9 
5.9 
4.9 
4.6 
4.6 

4.6 
4.6 
5.9 
12.1 
7.9 

6.9 
5.1 

4.9 
4.8 
7.6 
6.9 



Aug. 



4.2 
4.9 
4.7 
4.5 
4.3 

4.0 
4.0 
4.2 
4.5 
4.5 

12.6 
5.6 
«6 
4.2 
4.2 

4.1 
4.1 
4.0 
4.0 
4.2 

4.7 
4.7 
4.6 
4.5 
4.2 

4.2 
4.1 
3.9 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 



5.7 
5.1 
4.9 
4.7 
4.6 

4.5 
4.4 
4.5 

4.5 
4.5 

4.5 
4.5 
5.8 
6.1 
5.5 

5.4 
5.3 
4.6 
4.4 
4.5 

4.5 
4.5 
4.4 
4.4 
16.0 

18.8 
12.5 
6.4 
5.7 
5.4 
5.3 



Sept. 



3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.9 
3.9 
3.9 
3.0 
4.9 

5.2 
4.9 
4.8 
4.8 
4.7 

4.7 
4.6 
4.6 
4.6 
5.6 

5.2 
4.9 
4.6 
4.4 
3.9 

4.0 

4.2 
4.4 
4.2 
4.0 



5.0 
4.9 
7.5 
0.4 
6.1 

5.9 
5.1 
5.1 
4.9 
4.8 

4.9 
7.2 
5.5 
S.1 
4.9 



4.7 
5.1 
5.2 
5 1 

4.9 
4.6 
4.6 
4.5 
4.4 

4.4 
4.3 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 



Oct. 



4.0 
4.0 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

3.8 
3.8 
6.0 
5.4 
4.8 

4.0 
4.0 
3.8 
3.8 
3.8 

4.0 
5.0 
4.6 
4.4 
4.2 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 



Nov. 



4.0 
4.0 
40 
4.0 
4.0 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.2 

4.0 
4.0 
4.2 
4.4 
4.4 

4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 
4.2 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 

4.0 
4.0 
4.0 



4.0 


4.0 


4.0 


4.0 


4.0 




4.2 


4.7 


4.1 


4.7 


4.2 


4.7 


5.0 


4.6 


4.5 


4.6 


4.3 


4.6 


4.4 


4.6 


4.2 


4.5 


4.3 


4.5 


4.3 


4.4 


4.4 


4.4 


6.7 


4.4 


6.1 


4.4 


5.9 


4.4 


5.3 


4.3 


4.9 


4.3 


4.4 


4.3 


4.4 


4.3 


4.9 


4.3 


7.4 


4.3 


7.0 


4.3 


6.9 


4.3 


6.1- 


4.3 


5.1 


4.3 


4.7 


4.3 


5.6 


4.3 


5.7 


4.3 


5.3 


4.3 


4.8 


7.4 


4.8 


8.5 


4.7 





a River frozen at the gage Jan. 4-22 and Feb. 15-22, 1904. 

b From Jan. 27 to Feb. 28, 1905, the river was frozen entirely across except for a narrow channel in the 
middle. Gage heights are to the surface of the water in a hole in the ice. Thickness of ice about 1 
foot. 



168 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. — Continued. 



Day. 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


6.2 


4.9 


5.3 


9.7 


5.4 


5.7 


4.8 


5.5 


7.8 


5.4 


7.5 


4.5 


9.1 


7.4 


5.3 


18.35 


4.5 


16.65 


6.9 


5.3 


12.6 


5.1 


9.1 


6.5 


5.2 


7.6 


5.0 


6.9 


6.3 


5.3 


6.7 


4.9 


6.5 


6.2 


5.3 


6.6 


4.8 


6.4 


6.1 


5.3 


6.2 


5.2 


6.3 


7.5 


5.2 


5.9 


5.1 


6.1 


16.8 


5.0 


5.7 


5.0 


5.9 


9.1 


5.0 


6.9 


4.9 


5.8 


8.5 


4.9 


6.7 


4,8 


5.8 


7.1 


4.9 


6.2 


5.9 


5.8 


6.9 


4.9 


6.5 


8.1 


5.8 


21.8 


4.7 


7.1 


5.4 


5.8 


15.5 


4.8 


6.9 


4.9 


5.7 


10.2 


4.8 


6.2 


4.8 


5.7 


8.1 


4,7 


5.9 


5.0 


5.6 


7.5 


4,7 


5.7 


5.0 


5.6 


7.1 


4.5 


5.7 


5.4 


5.5 


6.7 


4,5 


5.7 


9.4 


5.5 


6.4 


4,5 


5.6 


6.5 


5.5 


6.3 


4,5 


5.6 


6.1 


5.6 


6.1 


4,5 


5.6 


6.7 


5.6 


5.9 


4.4 


5.5 


6.9 


5.5 


5.8 


4,5 


5.5 


*5.9 


9.0 


5.7 


4.5 


5.55 


6.1 


17.45 


5.5 


5,6 


5.3 




12.5 


5.4 


5.1 


5.2 




10.5 


5.4 


4.8 


5.1 




9.6 




4.7 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Deo. 



1906. a 



4,7 
4,7 
4,6 
45 
4.4 

4,4 
4.4 
4,4 
4.4 
5,5 

5,1 
4,5 
4,5 
4.4 
4,4 

4.5 
4.6 
7,1 
.9,7 
9,5 

10.5 

10.7 

6,7 

6.1 

5,9 

5,8 
5.1 
4,9 
4.8 
4.7 



4.5 
4.5 
4,5 
5,3 
5,1 

4,6 
4.6 
4,5 
4.5 
4,4 

4,4 
4.9 
4,5 
4.4 
4 4, 

4.4 
4,5 
4,5 
4,4 
4,4 

4,3 
4,4 
4.8 
5.1 
4.8 

4.6 

4,4 

4,35 

4,5 

4,3 

4,3 



4,5 
9.1 
16,1 
10.1 
5,5 

5.3 
5.1 
4.9 
4,8 
4,8 

6.1 
5.1 
6.1 
4.8 

4 7 

4,6 
4,6 
4,5 
8,5 
7,5 

6.5 

5,4 

7.35 

6,5 

7,5 



11,0 
9,8 
7,5 
6.1 
5,8 



5.5 
5.2 
5.1 
4,9 
4,9 

4,8 
4,7 
4.6 
4,6 
4,5 

4.4 
4,4 
4,4 
4.4 
4 4 

4.4 
4,4 
4,4 
4,4 
4,4 

4.8 
4,6 
4,4 
4,4 
4,4 

4,3 
4,3 
4,3 
4,3 
4,3 



4,3 
4,3 
4,3 
4,8 
7.1 

6,1 
5,8 
4.9 
4,7 
4,6 

4,5 
4,4 
4.3 
4.3 
4 3 

4,3 
4,3 
4,3 
9.5 
13.2 

9.5 
11.5 
8,5 
7.5 
8.5 

8,1 
7.5 
6.7 
6,2 
5,8 
5,7 



5.6 
5,5 
5,3 
5.2 
5,1 

5,0 
4.9 
4.8 
48 
4 8 

4 8 
4 7 
4 7 
4 7 
4 8 

4 8 
4 8 
4 9 
5.2 
5.5 

5.1 
5.0 
4 9 
4 8 
4 7 

4 6 
4 6 
4 6 
4 5 
4 5 



4 5 
4 5 
4 5 
4 5 
4 5 

4 7 
4 8 
4 8 
4 7 
5.9 



6.4 
5.3 
5.2 
5.2 

7.6 
9.8 
12.1 
8.5 
6.5 

9.5 
7.5 
6.9 
5.8 
5.7 

5.6 
7.8 
6.9 
5,8 
5.7 
8.4 



a River frozen at the gage February 6-9, 1906, 
Rating tables for Monocacy River near Frederick, 
AUGUST 4, 1896, TO DECEMBER 31, 1903.o 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feec. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


3.40 


43 


5.10 


525 


6.80 


1,600 


10.00 


4,600 


3.50 


55 


5.20 


575 


6.90 


1,680 


10.50 


5,100 


3.60 


C9 


5.30 


625 


7.00 


1,760 


11.00 


5,600 


3.70 


85 


5.40 


675 


7.20 


1,930 


11.50 


6,100 


3 SO 


103 


5.50 


730 


7.40 


2,105 


12,00 


6,600 


3.90 


• 124 


5.60 


785 


7.60 


2,285 


13,00 


7,650 


4 00 


147 


5.70 


840 


7.80 


2,465 


14 00 


8,700 


4 10 


172 


5.80 


900 


8.00 


2,650 


15,00 


9,750 


4 20 


198 


5.90 


960 


8.20 


2,840 


16,00 


10,800 


4 30 


226 


6.00 


1,025 


8.40 


3,030 


17.00 


11,850 


4 40 


256 


6.10 


1,090 


8.60 


3,220 


18,00 


12,900 


4 50 


288 


6.20 


1,155 


8.80 


3,410 


19.00 


13, 950 


4 60 


322 


6.30 


1,225 


9.00 


3,600 


20.00 


15,000 


4 70 


358 


6.40 


1,295 


9.20 


3,800 


22,00 


17, 100 


4 80 


396 


6.50 


1,370 


9.40 


4,000 


24. 00 


19,200 


4 90 


437 


6.60 


1,445 


«.60 


4,200 


26.00 


21,300 


5.00 


480 


6.70 


1,520 


9.80 


4.400 







o This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on discharge measure- 
ments made during 1896-1903. It is fairly well defined between gage heights 4.0 feet and 9.0 feet. Above 
gage height 12.0 feet the rating curve is a tangent, the difference being 105 per tenth 



STREAM FLOW : MONOCACY RIVER. 



169 



Rating tables for Monocacy River near Frederick, J/ii.— Continued. 

JANUARY 1, 1904, TO DECEMBER 31,1906.a 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet 


Second feet. 


3.80 


80 


5.30 


584 


' 6.80 


1,545 


9.60 


4,100 


3.90 


99 


5.40 


632 


6.90 


1,625 


9.80 


4,300 


4.00 


120 


.■).50 


682 


7.00 


1,705 


10.00 


4,500 


4.10 


144 


5.60 


734 


7.20 


1,875 


10.50 


5,000 


4.20 


170 


5.70 


789 


7.40 


2,045 


11.00 


5,500 


4.30 


198 


5.80 


846 


7.60 


2,220 


11.50 


6,000 


4.40 


228 


.5.90 


906 


7.80 


2,400 


12.00 


6,500 


4.50 


260 


6.00 


969 


8.00 


2,580 


13.00 


7,550 


4.60 


294 


6.10 


1,034 


8.20 


2,765 


14.00 


8,600 


4. TO 


330 


6.20 


1,102 


8.40 


2,955 


15.00 


9,650 


4.80 


368 


6.30 


1,172 


8.60 


3,145 


16.00 


10, 700 


4.90 


408 


6.40 


1,242 


8.80 


3,335 


17.00 


11,750 


5.00 


450 


6.50 


1,315 


9.00 


3,525 


18.00 


12,800 


5.10 


493 


6.60 


1,390 


9.20 


3,715 


19.00 


13, 850 


5.20 


538 


6.70 


1,465 


9.40 


3,905 


20.00 


14,900 



a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on discharge measure- 
ments made during 1904-1906. It is fairly weU defined between gage heights 4.0 feet and 10.0 feet. Above 
gage height 12.0 feet the rating curve is a tangent, the difference being 105 per tenth. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. 
[Drainage area, 660 square miles.i] 





Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-off. 


Precipitation. 


Month 


Maximum. 


Mmimiun. 


Mean. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth 

in 
inches. 


Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 


In 
inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1896. 














1.48 
5.83 
5.32 
1.43 
2.04 
4.31 
5.05 
61.44 
2.94 
1.31 
3.82 
.81 




February 
















































May 
































July 












August 4-31 . . 




256 
480 
396 
2,195 
396 


69 
69 
103 
124 
124 


125 
115 
144 
306 
187 


.189 
.174 
.218 
.464 
.283 


.197 
.194 
.251 
..518 
.326 








6 
19 
14 
41 


2.75 




1.06 


November 


3.30 


December 


.48 






The year 


1 










35.78 




















1897. 
January c 


730 
9,750 
4,400 
3,900 
10, 380 
2,195 
4,500 
11,010 
812 
241 
9,592 
9,330 


147 
256 
575 
322 
322 
198 
198 
172 
114 
94 
185 
550 


307 

2,062 

1,384 

907 

1.650 

492 

710 

968 

191 

137 

1.008 

1,980 


.465 
3.12 
2.10 
1.37 
2.50 

.745 
1.08 
1.47 

.289 

.208 
1.53 
3.00 


.536 
3.25 
2.42 
1.53 
2.88 

.831 
1.24 
1.70 

.322 

.240 
1.71 
3.46 


28 
63 
84 
53 
50 
27 
18 
46 
15 
12 
26 
99 


1.95 
5.16 
2.88 
2.86 
5.73 
S.IO 
6.81 
3.70 
2.12 
1.96 
6.53 
3.48 


1.41 


February c 


1.91 
.46 


April ■ 


1.33 


May 


2.85 


June 

Julyd 

August tf 


2.27 
5.57 
2.00 


September i 

October i 


1.80 
1.72 


November d 

Decemberti 


4.82 
.02 


The year 


11,010 


94 


983 


1.49 


20.12 


43 


46.28 


26.16 



a660 squares miles used for alf years except 1904 and 1905, when 665 was used. 
h Precipitation for complete month August, 1896. 

c River frozen at the gage January 25 to February 2, 1897; no correction made in estimates. 
i Estimates July 3 to December 31, 1897, liable to some error o\ving to uncertainty of wire length during 
that period. 



170 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. — Continued. 



Month 



1898. 

January , 

Februarys 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year . 



1899. 
January 6 . . . 
February *< . . 

March 

April 



June 

July 

August 

September.. 

October 

November.. 
December t . 



The year . 



1900. 
January c ... 
Februaryc .. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September d. 

October 

November... 
December.., 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maxunum. 



The year 



1901. 

January 

February . . . 

March 

Apri) 

May 

June 

July 

.August 

September.. 

October 

November.. 
December . . . 



The year. 



7,020 

9,540 

5,350 

1,845 

8,070 

730 

675 

7,020 

198 

0,150 

0,968 

12, 850 



12,850 



9,592 

12, 690 

12,060 

7,230 

2,375 

5,700 

288 

525 

1,025 

480 

2,015 

1,845 



12, 690 



4,800 

15.840 

8,175 

1,295 

1,760 

1,025 

702 

702 

147 

172 

3,800 

6,705 



15,840 



2,285 

525 

15,. 530 

12,900 

6.100 

2,650 

730 

1,845 

1,520 

575 

4,000 

14,740 



Minimum. 



15, 530 



416 
480 
437 
396 
322 
250 
124 
147 
103 
103 
256 



103 



480 
575 
1,370 
396 
322 
198 
124 
103 
85 
103 
172 
124 



85 



525 
675 
358 
■226 
147 



55 
85 
85 
124 



147 
226 
256 
675 
396 
288 
172 
147 
172 
172 
198 
358 



147 



Means. 



2,099 

1,479 

1,319 

692 

1,575 

408 

223 

926 

128 

693 

1,132 

1,943 



,051 



1,971 

2,939 

3,428 

1,179 

680 

759 

196 

208 

309 

133 

401 

449 



Run-ofE. 



Precipitation. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



3.18 
2.24 
2.00 
1.05 
2.39 
.618 
.338 
1.40 
.194 
1.05 
1.72 
2.94 



1.59 



1,054 



2.99 
4.45 
5.19 
1.79 
1.03 
1.15 
.297 
.315 
.468 
.202 
.608 
.680 



Depth 



Per cent 
of pre- In 
inche- i ^ipita^ inches. 



3.67 
2.33 
2.31 
1.17 
2.76 
.690 
.390 
1.61 
.216 
1.21 
1.92 
3.39 



21.67 



1.59 



1,030 

2,641 

2,188 

576 

438 

294 

154 

150 

82.1 

102 

454 

520 



719 



438 

329 

2,167 

2,742 

1,521 

839 

316 

445 

296 

268 

480 

2,313 



1,013 



1.56 
4.00 
3.32 
.873 
.664 
.445 
.233 
.227 
.124 
.155 



1.09 



.664 
.498 
3.28 
4.15 
2.30 
1.27 
.479 
.674 
.448 
.406 
.727 
3.50 



1.53 



3.45 
4.63 
5.98 
2.00 
1.19 
1.28 
.342 
.363 
..522 
.233 
.678 



21.44 



1.80 
4.16 
3.83 
.974 
.766 



.262 
.138 
.179 
.768 
.908 



14.56 



.766 
..519 
3.78 
4.63 
2.65 
1.42 
.552 
.777 
.500 
.468 
.811 
4.04 



20.92 



95 

146 
59 
45 
38 
58 
12 
24 
15 
20 
43 
81 



47 



109 

88 

115 

115 

25 

41 

11 

9 

10 

9 

30 
33 



50 



3.86 
1.60 
3.94 
2.61 
7.34 
1.18 
3.14 
6.75 
1.46 
5.97 
4.42 
4.17 



46.44 



3.16 
5.27 
5.19 
1.74 
4.74 
3.09 
3.17 
4.02 
5.18 
2.64 
2.23 
2.35 



42.78 



81 
73 
111 
68 
41 
11 



6 

7 

21 

30 



2.22 
5.69 
3.44 
1.43 
1.89 
4.51 
3.34 
3.16 
2.31 
2.59 
3.64 
3.02 



39 



37.24 



27 


2.82 


69 


.75 


69 


5.48 


72 


6.47 


49 


5.36 


33 


4.26 


11 


5.04 


13 


6.22 


13 


3.77 


34 


1.38 


31 


2.59 


52 


7.76 



51.90 



a River frozen Feliruary 2-9, 1898; no correction made in estimates. 

b River frozen at the gage January 2, February 9-21, and December 28-31, 1899; no correction made in 
the estimates, 
c River frozen at the gage January 1-6 and February 1-4, 1900; no correction made in the estimates. 
d Discharge interpolated September 29, 1900. 



STREAM flow: MONOCACY RIVER. 



171 



Estimated monthly discharge of Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. — Continued. 



Month. 



1902. 

January 

February a 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1903. 

January b 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1904. 

January c 

February c 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 

1905. 

Januaryd 

February d 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

The year 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. 



12,950 

19,200 

20,460 

12,800 

575 

1,845 

1,680 

575 

3.700 

8,385 

4,000 

11,960 



20,460 



10, 590 

16,260 

16, 470 

16, 680 

9,540 

16,260 

13,740 

6,705 

5,700 

1,930 

437 

6,652 



Minimum. 



16, 680 



14, 800 



12, 170 
734 
9,440 
2,220 
450 
2,860 
6,605 

13,640 
2,130 
2,045 
3,050 

13,480 



13, 640 



437 

960 

785 

480 

226 

147 

124 

69 

55 

'172 

198 

730 



55 



730 
,155 
900 
840 
358 
437 
525 
288 
256 
226 
198 
172 



14, 800 


260 


8,758 


294 


11,960 


538 


2,400 


294 


789 


198 


4,300 


144 


2,765 


120 


7,130 


SO 


734 


80 


969 


80 


228 


120 


3,905 


120 



538 
368 
170 
144 
260 
228 
170 
144 
198 
468 



144 



Means. 



1,924 

3,902 

4,677 

2,261 

339 

323 

335 

143 

232 

1,157 

552 

3,981 



1,652 



3,319 

3,124 

3,400 

3,532 

898 

1,806 

2.342 

1,063 

795 

477 

239 

540 



1,795 



1,069 
1,,502 
1,812 
729 
375 
817 
586 
436 
251 
209 
138 
549 



700 



1,503 
■ 409 

3,056 
790 
279 
748 

1,296 

1,427 
546 
583 
390 

2,124 



1,096 



Rim-ofE. 



Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 



2.92 
5.91 
7.09 
3.43 
.514 
.489 
.508 
.217 
.352 
1.75 
.836 
6.03 



2.50 



5.03 
4.73 
5.15 
5.35 
1.36 
2.74 
3.55 
1.61 
1.20 
.723 
.362 
.818 



2.72 



1.61 
2.26 
2.72 
1.10 
.561 
1.23 
.881 
.656 
.377 
.314 
.208 
826 



Depth 

in 
inches. 



3.37 
6.15 
8.17 
3.83 
.593 
.546 
.586 
.250 
.393 
2.02 
.833 
6.95 



33.79 



5.80 
4.92 
5.94 
.5.97 
1.57 
3.06 
4.09 
1.86 
1.34 
.834 
.404 
.943 



36.72 



1.86 
2.44 
3.14 
1.23 
.647 
1.37 
1.02 
.756 
.421 
.362 
.232 
.952 



1.00 



3.19 



1.65 



14.43 



2.26 


2.61 


. 615 


.640 


4.60 


5.30 


1.19 


1.33 


.420 


.484 


1.12 


1.25 


1.95 


2.25 


2.15 


2.48 


.821 


.916 


.877 


1,01 


.586 


.654 



22. eo 



Per cent 
of pre- 
cipita- 
tion. 



93 
127 
173 
134 
55 
12 
16 
15 



28 
110 



70 



123 
85 
105 
105 
42 
35 
76 
28 
47 
26 
40 
42 



54 
122 
97 
56 
22 
29 
17 
18 
17 
17 
17 
36 



38 



63 
35 
129 
49 
26 
21 
27 
46 
29 
23 
32 
77 



47 



Precipitation. 



In 
inches. 



3.61 
4.85 
4.72 
2.85 
1.08 
4.44 
3.74 
1.67 
4.52 
7.20 
3.28 
6.33 



48.29 



4.72 
5.78 
5.66 
5.69 
3.78 
8.68 
5.36 
6.74 
2.84 
3.16 
.99 
2.26 



55.66 



3.46 
2.00 
3.23 
2.21 
2.98 
4.80 
5.88 
4.32 
2.49 
2.12 
1.37 
2.63 



37.49 



4.15 
1.83 
4.11 
2.71 
1.84 
5.88 
8.32 
5.40 
3.17 
4.39 
2.00 
4.75 



48.55 



Loss in 
inches. 



0.24 
-1.30 
-3.45 

- .98 
.49 

3.89 
3.15 
1.42 
4.13 
5.18 
2.35 

- .62 



14.50 



^1.08 
.86 

- .28 

- .28 
2.21 
5.62 
1.27 
4.88 
1.50 
2.33 

.59 
1.32 



18.94 



1.60 

- .44 

.09 

.98 

2.33 

3.43 

4.86 

3.56 

2.07 

1.76 

1.14 

1.68 



23.06 



1.54 
1.19 
-1.19 
1.38 
1..36 
4.63 
6.07 
2.92 
2.25 
3.38 
1.35 
1.07 



25.95 



o River frozen at the gage February 4-19, 1902: no correction made in the estimates. 

b River frozen at the gage January 12-20, 1903; no correction made in the estimates. 

c River frozen January 4-22 and February 15-22, 1904: no correction made in the estimates. 

d River frozen January 27 to February 28, 1905; no correction made m the estimates. 



IKR 192—07- 



-12 



172 THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Monocacy River near Frederick, Met. — Continued. 





Discharge in second-feet. 


Run-off. 


Precipitation. 


Month. , 


Maximum. 


Minimum. 


Moans. 


Second- 
feet per 
square 
mile. 


Depth 

in 
inches. 


Per cent 
of i.re- 
cipita- 
tion. 


In 
inches. 


Loss in 
inches. 


1906. 


13,170 

3,905 

12,220 

16,790 

734 

5,200 

584 

10, 800 

682 

7,760 

734 

6,605 


493 

260 

584 

632 

228 

228 

198 

260 

198. 

198 

260 

260 


1,657 

824 
2,275 
2,877 

422 
1,037 

284 
1,776 

290 
1,494 

418 
1,428 


2.51 
1.25 
3.45 
4.36 

.639 
1.57 

.430 
2.70 

.439 
2.25 

.633 
2.17 


2.89 
1.30 
3.98 
4.86 

.737 
1.75 

.496 
3.11 

.490 
2.59 

.706 
2.50 








February a 

March 














April 








May 
















July 








August 
















October 
















December 
















The year... . 


16, 790 


198 


1,232 


1.87 


25.41 















a River frozen at the gage 'B'ebruary 6-9, 1906; no correction made in the estimates. 

The following table gives the horsepower, 80 per cent efficiency 
per foot of fall, that may be developed at different rates of discharge, 
and shows the number of days on which the flow and the correspond- 
ing horsepower were respectively less than the amounts given in the 
columns for "discharge" and "horsepower." 

Discharge and horsepower table for Monacacy River near Frederick, Md., from 1896 to 1906. 



Dis- 
charge 
in sec- 
ond-feet. 


Horse- 
power, 
SOpBroent 
efficiency, 
perfocrt: 
fall. 


Days of deficient flow. 


1896. a 


1897. 


1898. 


1899. 


1900. 


1901. 


1902. 


1903. 


1904. 


1905. 


1906. 


55 
66 
88 
110 

132 
154 
176 
198 
220 

275 
330 
385 
440 
495 

550 
660 
770 


5 
6 
8 
10 

12 
14 
16 
18 
20 

25 
30 
35 
40 
45 

50 
60 
70 










4 
16 
63 
89 

119 
142 

163 
165 
174 

196 
213 
224 
244 
254 

265 
275 
299 






















""'i' 

25 
25 
74 

131 
155 
165 
204 
216 

229 
243 
264 


10 
22 
29 

38 
48 
72 
72 
94 

115 
147 
152 
170 
176 

185 
207 
217 










16 
32 

74 
98 
114 
115 
128 

136 
142 
142 
145 
147 

147 
148 
149 






4 
29 

56 
75 
100 
100 
118 

149 
163 
169 
187 
206 

213 
231 
243 


4' 
4 
15 

£6 
78 
94 
128 
130 

138 
154 
173 


21 
27 

78 
85 
123 
123 
129 

152 

187 

216' 

240 

259 

269 
285 
297 






6 

19 
45 
56 
63 
86 

115 
130 

149 
171 
192 

199 
222 
243 


22 

37 
48 
58 
59 
68 

99 
116 
123 
138 
157 

169 
206 
234 










2 
17 
17 
36 

78 
106 
151 
169 
195 

205 
220 
237 


'""is' 

82 
96 
•138 
154 
175 

184 
202 
226 



a August 4 to December 31, 1896. 

Note. — The minimum flow during the period covered by the above table was 49 second-feet, giving. 
4.5 horsepower per foot of fall for four consecutive days during August, 1900. 



STREAM flow: KOCK CEEEK. 



173 



POTOMAC RIVER AT GREAT FAILS, MD,, AND AT CHAIN BRIDGE, D, C. 

Estimates of the flow of Potomac River at Chain Bridge and at 
Great Falls are not considered sufficiently accurate for republication 
owing to poor conditions at the Chain Bridge section and the effect 
on the flow of the river of a daily range of tide of about 3 feet. Esti- 
mates at Great Falls, as previously published, were based on the dis- 
charge at Chain Bridge, and hence are subject to the same errors. 
The flood discharges as determined at these two stations are probably 
accurate enough for all practical purposes, but for medium and low 
stages the estimates are considered too high and likely, to be "very 
misleading if used. 

ROCK CREEK AT LYON'S MILL AND ZOOLOGICAL PARK, D. C. 

Rock Creek rises south of Laytonsville, in the central part of Mont- 
gomery County, Md., and flows southward into Potomac River at 
Washington, D. C. The total drainage area at the mouth is 86 square 
miles. 

A study of the discharge of Rock Creek was begun in July, 1892, 
at the request of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. 
August 18, 1892, a self -registering gage was placed at Lyon's Mill 
Road Bridge, at the east corner of Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, 
by C. C. Babb. The gage-height record was continued until Novem- 
ber 30, 1894. 

January 18, 1897, a new station was established by E. G. Paul at 
the Park Bridge, near the eastern entrance of the National Zoological 
Park, Washington, D. C. The staff gage was above and within the 
influence of a dam. Measurements were made at various cross 
sections. The bridge was rebuilt and the gage destroyed in November, 
1900. 

The estimated discharge of Rock Creek at Lyon's mill, which is 
published below for the first time, is probably within 5 per cent of 
the true discharge above gage height, — 0.3 foot. Below gage height, 
— 0.3 foot, the probable error may vary from 5 to 15 per cent. The 
effect of ice conditions is not known. 

No estimates are possible for Rock Creek at Zoological Park, owing 
to the insufficient range of stage at which measurements were made. 

Discharge measurements of Rock CreeJc, at Lyon's mill, Washington, D. C. 



Date. 



1892. 

July 28 

August 2 

August 3 

Augusts 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
0.00 

— .30 

— .30 
.19 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
89 
49 
48 
102 



Date. 



1893. 

April 11 

May 4 

1894. 
May 7 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
- .12 
4.14 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 

58 

959 



174 



THE POTOMAC EIVER BASUvT. 



Discharge measurements of Rock Creek referred to Zoological Parle Bridge gage, District of 

Columbia. 



Date. 



1897. 

August ISO 

November 216.. 

1898. 

January 28c 

May 18<: 



Gage, 
height. 



Feet. 
2.90 
3.00 



3.23 
3.20 



Discharge. 



Secondr-feet. 
26 
37 



95 



Date. 



1900. 
April 24^ 

1902. 
February 27 d... 



Gage 
height. 



Feet. 
2.75 



Discharge. 



Second-feet. 
77 



1,810 



a Measured at Woodley Bridge. 
b Measured at Klingle Ford. 



c Measured at Lyon's mill, 
d Measured at Rustic Bridge. 



Daily gage 


height 


in feet, of Rock Greek at Lyon's 


mill, Washington, D. C. 




Day. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Day. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1892. 
1 




-0.65 

- .69 

- .66 

- .62 

- .71 

- .68 

- .67 

- .72 

- .71 

- .71 

- .72 

- .72 

- .72 

- .10 
.00 

- .58 


-0.68 

- .70 

- .72 

- .72 

- .72 

- .71 

- .70 

- .68 

- .58 

- .65 

- .70 

- .70 

- .71 

- .72 

- .70 

- .62 


-0.68 

- .70 

- .64 

- .61 

- .68 

- .66 

- .65 

- .65 

- .30 

- .15 

- .25 

- .51 

- .45 

- .54 

- .44 

- .44 


-0.40 

- .52 

- .55 

- .56 

- .54 

- .53 

- ..53 

- .50 

- .52 

- .53 

- .61 

- 61 

- .60 
+ .30 
+ .50 

- .20 


17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 


1892. 




- .65 

- .72 

- .72 

- .72 

- .70 

- .55 
+ .50 

.00 

- .58 

- .60 

- .62 

- .66 

- .65 

- .68 


- .68 

- .65 

- .58 

- .68 

- .63 

- .62 

- .62 

- .62 

- .70 

- .65 

- .65 

- .66 

- .65 

- .66 

- .68 


- .42 

- .55 
+ .22 

- .33 

- .52 

- .52 

- .60 

- .59 

- .61 

- .61 

- .61 

- .55 

- ..51 

- .46 


— .20 


2 






-0.58 

- .60 

- .60 

- .63 

- .63 

- .62 

- .62 

- .58 

- .61 

- .66 

- .61 

- .68 

- .68 

- .63 


— .21 


3 






- .30 


4 






— .11 


5 : 












— .05 


6 




- .30 


7 






— .69 


8 






- .30 


9 






- .51 


10 








11 ... 




— ..31 

- .52 


12 






- ..52 


13 






- .52 


14 






- .61 


15 






- .58 


16 



















Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


.\i]g. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1893. 
1 


+ 1.00 
+ 1.22 

- .17 

- .20 

- .29 

- .20 

- .41 

- .59 

- .40 

- .28 

-.20 

- .41 

- .41 

- .35 

- .35 

- .10 

- .32 

- .32 

- .32 

- .33 

- .38 

- .38 

- .38 

- .36 

- .36 

-.21 
+ .15 
+ .23 
+ .15 
+ .15 

- .15 


- .21 

- .12 

- .15' 
+ .03 

- .31 

- .32 

- .22 
.00 

- .44 

- .02 

+ .25 
+ .20 
+2.00 
+ 1.30 
+ .95 

+ .35 

+ .12 

.00 

- .04 

- .12 

- .32 

- .09 

- .46 

- .12 

- .09 

+ .15 

+ .10 

.00 


+1.38 
+ .54 
+ .22 
+ .18 
.00 

- .01 
.00 

- .02 
+ .40 
+ .50 

+ .08 

+ .22 

+ .34 

.00 

.00 

- .10 

- .10 

- .06 

- .06 

- .10 

- .10 

- .10 

- .11 

- .06 

- .06 

- .05 

- .08 

- .08 

- .08 

- .08 

- .20 


-0.27 

- .30 

- .35 

- .30 

- .30 

- .32 

- .32 

- .30 

- .30 

- .30 

- .20 

- .28 

- .08 

- .18 

- .09 

- .09 

- .36 

- .22 

- .26 

- .27 

+ .40 

.00 

+ .18 

- .05 

- .22 

- .21 
+ .20 
+ .20 

.00 
+ .10 


+0.10 

- .10 

- .20 
+4.20 
+ .75 

+ .52 
+ .20 
+ .05 
.00 
+ .10 

- .12 

- .12 

- .15 
.00 

- .15 

- .15 
+ .40 

.00 

- .05 

- .10 

- .10 

- .05 

- .07 

- .12 

- .15 

- .20 

- .20 

- .12 

- .12 

- .15 

- .02 


-0.30 

- .22 

- .13 

- .17 
+ .20 

- .25 

- .35 

- .25 

- .46 

- .45 

- .50 

- .52 
-• . 45 

- .50 

- .51 

- .51 

- .52 

- .51 

- .51 

- .51 

- .54 

- ..55 

- .55 
+ .47 

- .32 

- .37 

- .35 


-0.42 

- .47 

- .50 
+ 1.00 
+ .16 

- .52 

- .55 

- .60 
.00 

- .48 

- .55 

- .60 

- .60 

- .61 
+2.20 

- .18 

- .40 

- .34 

- .45 

- .53 

- .57 

- .61 

- .65 

- .67 

- .69 

- .70 

- .65 

- .71 

- .71 

- .72 

- .74 


-0.75 

- .76 

- .80 

- .79 

- .76 

- .79 

- .80 

- .85 

- .85 

- .86 

- .88 

- .90 

- .90 

- .95 
-1.00 

-1.00 
-1.00 

- .90 
-1.00 
-1.05 

- .96 
-1.08 

- .88 
-1.00 
-1.05 

-1.09 

- .92 

- .94 
+1.36 

- .50 

- .80 


-0.70 

- .66 

- .80 

- .82 

- .91 

- .92 

- .90 

- .93 
-1.00 

- .99 

- .97 

- .66 

- .74 
+ .10 

- .56 

- .50 

- .60 

- .62 

- .68 

- .85 

- .90 

- .80 

- .90 

- .90 

- .92 

- .94 

- .&5 

- .85 

- .80 

- .80 


-0.87 

- .88 

- .90 

- .80 

- .70 

- .72 

- .75 

- .80 

- .81 

- .82 

- .90 

- .90 

- .90 
+ 2.20 

- .20 

- .50 

- .75 

- .62 

- .70 

- .75 

- .76 

- .75 
+ .30 

- .40 

- .54 

- .61 

- .61 

- .60 

- .60 

- .60 

- .60 


-0.65 

- .65 
.65 

- .62 

- .64 

- .68 

- .66 

- .66 
+ 1. 65 
+ .05 

- .37 

- .38 

- .45 

- .50 
.00 

- .27 

- .34 

- .40 

- .45 

- .50 

- .40 
+ .25 

- .30 

- .34 

- .35 

- .36 

- .35 

+ .85 
.00 

- .15 


-0.20 


2 


- .32 


3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 


+ .30 
+ .95 

- .05 

- ..54 

- .05 

- .05 


9 

10 

u 


- .20 

- .26 

- .29 


12 


- .26 


13 

14 


- .26 

- .34 


15 

16 


- .45 

- .46 


17 

18 


+ .46 
- .32 


19 

20 

21 

22 
2I.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'-'.'.'. 

24 

25 


- .27 

- .34 

- .36 

- .40 

- .37 

- .38 

- .39 


26 


- .40 


27 

28 


- .38 

- .40 


29 

30 

31 


- .36 

- .28 

- .25 



STREAM FLOW : EOCK CEEEK. 
•Daily gage height, in feet, of Rock Creek at Lyon's mill, Washington, D. C- 



175 

-Continued. 



Daily gage height, in feet, of Roclc Creelc at Zoological Parle, D. C. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1894. 
1 


-0.22 

- .32 

- .34 

- .31 

- .33 

- .30 

- .31 

- .33 

- .31 

- .33 

- .33 

- .28 

- .31 

- .24 

- .24 

- .24 

- .25 

- .26 

- .29 

- .30 

- .26 

- .24 

- .20 

- .21 

- .20 

- .20 

- .20 

- .21 

- .16 
+ 1.00 

.00 


-0.14 

- .14 

- .28 

- .30 

- .36 

- .30 

- .30 

- .31 

- .32 

- .30 

- .27 

- .28 

- .32 

- .34 

- .20 

.00 
+ .12 
+ .42 
+ .65 

.00 

- .12 

- .20 

- .20 

- .20 

- .20 

- .20 

- 26 

- .20 


-0.20 

- .12 
+ 1.00 
+ .62 
+ .12 

+ .04 
+ .05 

- .05 

- .12 

- .21 

- .20 

- .20 

- .22 

- .25 

- .24 

- .24 

- .22 

- .23 

- .23 

- .23 

- .21 

- .20 

- .18 

- .20 

- .20 

- .17 

- .20 

- .20 

- .22 

- .21 

- .22 


-0.24 

- .24 

- .26 

- .25 

- .30 

- .36 

- .36 

- .28 

- .28 

- .18 

+ 1.18 
+ .69 
+ .65 
+ .21 
.00 

- .07 

- .11 

- .15 

- .18 

- .19 

- .22 

- !25 

- .30 

- .33 

- .37 

- .31 

- .39 

- .34 

- .40 

- .42 


-0.45 

- .41 

- .39 

- .34 

- .20 

+ .21 
+ .60 
+ .03 

- .20 

- .26 

- .28 

- .28 

- .29 

- .31 

- .31 

- .32 

- .48 

- .32 

- .28 
+ .65 

+ .23 

- .10 

- .27 

- .30 

- .33 

- .30 

- .30 

- .32 
-.36 

- .36 

- .36 


-0.40 

- .41 

- .44 

- .50 

- .51 

- .51 

- .52 

- .55 

- .64 

- .64 

- .66 

- .68 

- .69 

- .71 

- .73 








-0.60 

- .(M 

- .50 

- .00 

- .40 

- .50 

- .60 

- .70 

- .80 

- .50 

- .20 

- .60 

- .70 

- .70 


-0.10 

- .50 

- .10 
.00 

- .45 

- .50 

- .55 

- .60 




9 






-0.85 

- .80 

- .80 

- .82 

- .85 

- .85 

- .80 

- .70 

- .60 

^ .55 

- .65 

- .70 

- .65 

- .65 

- .65 

- .65 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 




3 








4 








5 








6 








7 








8 








9 


- .85 

- .92 

- .92 




- .30 ! 


10 

11 


- 45 , 

- .50 . 


12 


— .60 1 


13 






60 


14 






— fi."; 




15 






- .70 1- .70 




16 ... 






- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .75 

- .80 

- .80 

- .75 

- .75 
-.75 

- .75 

- .75 

- .75 

- .72 

- .70 

- .70 


- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .65 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 

- .65 

- .70 

- .70 

- .70 




17 










18 










19 










20 






-1.10 

-1.10 
-1.10 
-1.00 
-1.10 
-1.20 

-1.25 
- .90 
-1.20 
-1.10 




81 








22 








23 








24 








25 






' 


26 








27 








28 








29 








30 








31 



























Day. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


3.05 


2.85 


2.8 


3.1 


3.0 


2.85 


2.85 


3.5 


3.0 


2.85 


2.85 


3.3 


2.95 


2.85 


2.85 


3.1 


2.95 


2.85 


2.85 


3.05 


3,0 


2.85 


2.85 


3.0 


2.95 


2.8 


2.85 


2.95 


2.95 


2.8 


2.85 


3.0 


2.95 


2.8 


2.85 


3.2 


2.95 


2.8 


2.85 


3.35 


3.0 


2.8 


2.85 


3.1 


3.0 


2.8 


3.15 


3.05 


2.95 


2.8 


2.85 


3.05 


2.9 


2.8 


2.85 


3.0 


2.9 


2.8 


2.85 


3.05 


2.95 


2.8 


2.85 


3.1 


3.0 


2.8 


2.85 


3.05 


2.9 


2.9 


2.9 


3.05 


2.9 


2.85 


2.9 


3.05 


2.9 


2.8 


3.0 


3.05 


2.9 


2.8 


3.0 


3.0 


2.9 


2.8 


2.95 


3.0 


2.9 


2.9 


2.95 


3.05 


2.95 


3.2 


3.0 


3.05 


2.9 


2.9 


3.1 


3.0 


2.9 


2.8 


3.1 


3.05 


2.9 


2.8 


3.0 


3.95 


2.85 


2.8 


2.95 


3.3 


2.85 


2.8 


2.9 


3.15 


2.85 


2.8 


2.9 


3.1 


2.85 




2.9 





1897. 



2.9 

3.5 

4.15 

3.45 

3.15 

3.25 
4.25 

2.7 

2.45 

2.4 



2.3 

2.45 

2.6 

2.6 

2.7 



3.0 

2.95 

2.9 

3.15 

3.3 

3.35 

3.05 

2.85 

3.0 

2.9 

2.9 

2.95 

2.9 

2.9 



2.45 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.25 

2.4 

3.75 

4.1 

2.9 

2.6 

2.5 

2.45 

2.45 



2.35 

2.35 

2.35 

2.4 

2.35 

2.35 
2.4 
2.35 
2.35 
2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.35 

2.45 

2.6 

2.4 
2.35 
2.95 
2.85 
3.05 

2.9 

2.65 

2.55 

2.5 

2.55 

2.4 

2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 



2.3 

2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2.5 

2.65 

2.45 

2.4 

3.15 

2.9 

2.6 
2.5 
2.45 



2. 
2. 

2.45 

2.45 

2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.25 

2.25 

2.2 

2.25 

2.25 



2.3 

2.4 
2.45 
2.55 
2.5 

2.35 

2.3 

2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.2 

2.5 

3.7 

2.65 

2.95 

2.6 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.25 

2.6 

3.45 

2.55 

2.4 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.25 



2.3 

2.5 

2.65 

2.95 

3.15 

3.1 

3.25 

3.4 

3.45 

3.4 

3.4 

3.35 

3.35 

3.35 

3.35 

3.35 

3.35 

3.35 

3.2 

3.3 

3.25 
3.15 
3.15 
3.15 
3.25 

3.15 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 



3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 

3.6 

3.15 

3.1 

3.1 

3.25 

3.3 

3.3 

3.1 

3.0 

3.1 

3.1 

3.45 

3.25 

3.25 

4.0 

.3.4 

3.1 

3.05 

3.0 

3.45 

4.3 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 



176 THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN. 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Rock Creelc at Zoological Park, D. C. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1898. 
1 


3.1 

2.95 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.0 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 

3.9 

.3.35 

3.2 

3.3 

3.2 

3.4 

4.1 

3.3 

3.25 

3.15 

3.2 

3. 35 

3.2 

.3.25 

3.3 

3.15 

3.65 

3.4 

3.25 

3.15 

3.15 

3.15 

3.05 

2.75 

2.88 

2.9 

3.33 

3.65 
4.25 
3.23 
3.05 
3.0 

3.0 
3.1- 
2.9 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 

3.1 

3.08 

2.98 

2.93 

3.13 
2.85 
2.85 
2.85 
3.68 

3.08 

3.0 

2.88 

2.85 

2.83 

2.85 


3.15 

3.15 

.3.1 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 

3.0 

3.05 

3.25 

3.5 

3.75 

3.4 

3.25 

3.2 

.3.15 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

2.78 
2.88 
2.88 
2.95 
3.13 

3.0 

3.0 

2.93 

2.03 

2.93 

2.78 
2.78 
2.78 
2.78 
2.95 

2.95 

4.0 

4.25 

4.43 

4.05 

3.88 

4.18 

4.1 

3.5 

3.2 

3.15 

3.7 

3.33 


3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.15 

3.15 

3.1 

3.1 

.3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 
3.05 
3.05 
3. 05 
3.05 

.3.05 

.3.25 

,3.2 

3.1 

3.1 

3.05 

3.05 

3.05 

3.1 

3.5 

3.2 

3.1 

3.1 

3.15 

3.95 

3.45 

3.3 
3.23 
3.13 
3.1 

4.5 

3.4 

3.18 
3.1 
3.1 
3.08 

3.23 

3.18 

3.13 

.3.0 

3.1 

3.3 

3.0 

3.05 

3.9 

3.33 

3.1 

3.18 

3.18 

3.03 

3.0 

3.0 

3.0 

3.23 

3.45 

3.15 

3.03 


3.3 
3.2 
3.2 
3.1 
3.2 

3.15 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

.3.05 
3.15 
.3.15 
3.15 
3.15 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
3.2 

3.3 
3.3 
3.3 
3.1 
3.15 

3.1 

3.65 

.3.1 

3.1 

3.1 

3.0 
2.93 
2.9 
2.9 
■ 2.9 

2.9 

2.95 

3.8 

.3.08 

3.0 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2,9 
2.85 

3.05 

3.0 

2.9 

2.85 

2.85 

2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 

2.8 

2.83 

2.78 

2.75 

2.75 


3.5 
3.5 
3.5 
3.0 
3.5 

3.2 

3.95 

3.4 

3.3 

3.0 

3.0 

,3.15 

3.15 

3.15 

3.1 

3.1 
3.9 
3.1 
3.1 
3.1 

3.3 
3.5 
3.5 
3.5 
3.65 

3.5 

.3.5 

3.0 

3.0 

2.95 

2.95 

2.75 

2.7 

2.73 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

2.75 

2.75 

3.23 

2.83 

2.83 
2.98 
2.78 
2.73 
2.7 

2.68 
2.73 
3.25 
2. 95 
2.78 

2.7 

2.7 

2.68 

2.65 

2.0 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2. 65 

2.6 

2.6 


2.95 

2.95 

2.95 

2.9 

2.9 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
2.9 

2.9 
2.9 
2.9 
3.2 
2.9 

2.85 

2.85 

2.85 

2.9 

2.85 

2.85 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.S 

2.8 

2.8 

3.1 

2.95 

2.9 

2.88 

2.68 

2.63 

2.6 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 

2.5 

.3.03 

2.98 
2.73 
2.65 
2.63 
2.55 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 

2.48 
2.45 
2.45 
2.45 
2.48 

2.53 

2.5 

2.48 

2.45 

2.43 


2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 

2.85 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 
2.75 
2.75 
2 75 
2.8 

2.8 

2.75 

2.75 

2.95 

2.9 

2.9 

2.8 

2.75 

2.75 

2.75 

2.75 

3.1 

3.1 

3.0 

2.8 

2.8 

2.4 

2.4 

2.35 

2.35 

2.6 

2.58 

2.7 

2.5 

2.78 

2.48 

2.43 

2.4 

2.5 

2.7 

2.45 

2.45 

2.9 

2.58 

2.45 

2.4 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.5 
2.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.38 


2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
2.8 
3.9 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.9 

3.45 

3.7 

4.0 

4.15 

3.95 

2.75 

2.8 
2.55 
2. 55 
3.15 
2.75 

2.75 

2.7 

2.6 

2.6 

2.55 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.45 

2.35 

2.35 

3.9 

3.2 

2.65 

2.9 

2.55 

2.5 

2.48 

2.53 

2.5 

2.48 

2.45 

2.75 

2.5 

2.7 

2.5 

2.45 

2.43 

2.4 

2.4 

2.73 

2.45 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.55 

2.75 

2.48 

2.4 

2.4 


2.45 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 

2.4 

2.35 

2.ci5 

2.35 

2. .35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.25 

2.3 

2.45 

2.6 

2.35 

2.35 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
2.38 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 

2.4 

2.43 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.25 

2.25 

2.3 

2.43 

3.0 

2.63 
2.55 
2.4 
2.35 
2.65 

5.25 

3.75 

2.85 

2.6 

2.0 


2.3 

2.35 

2.35 

2.4 

2.4 

2.4 

2.4 

2.35 

2.35 

2.35 

2.35 

2.4 

2.4 

2.45 

2.4 

2.45 

2.45 

2.4 

2.9 

2.75 

2.6 

2.75 

2.9 

2.7 

2.65 

2.55 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.85 

2.95 

2.58 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.75 

2.7 

2.58 

2.6 

2.58 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 
2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.5 

2.5 

2.45 

2.45 

2.48 

2.45 

2.45 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.63 


2.8 

2.65 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.65 

2.65 

2.6 

2.6 

2.65 

3.4 

3.85 

2.7 

2.65 

2.65 

2.65 

2.8 

3.25 

4.05 

3.1 

2.85 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 

2.75 

2.8 

2.75 

2.75 

2.8 

2.85 

3.65 
2.83 
2.8 
3.1 

2.8 

2.7 

2.63 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.6 

2.58 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 
2.55 
2.55 
2.58 
2.55 

2.55 

2.55 

2.6 

2.63 

2.6 

2.6 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 


2.95 


2 


2.8 


3 


2.8 


4 


3.15 


5 


4.45 


6 


3.15 


7 -. 


3.0 


8 

9 

10 


2.9 

2.85 

2.85 


11 


2.75 


12 


2.8 


13 


2.85 


14 


2.8 


15 


2.8 


16 


2.8 


17 


2.75 


18 


2.75 


19 


2.8 


20 


3.35 


21 

22 


3.39 
2.9 


23 


3.0 


24 . . 


3.05 


25 


2.9 


26 


2.8 


27 


2.8 


28 


2.8 


29 


2.7 


30 


2.75 


31 


2.85 


1899. 
1 


2.53 


2 


2.58 


3 


«2.53 
'2.5 


4 .. . 


5 


2.5 


6 


2.5 


7 


2.5 


8 


2.5 


9 - 


2 5 


10 


2.5 


11 


2.5 


12 


2.78 


13 


2.75 


J4 


2.63 


15 


2.53 


16 


2.5 


17 


2.5 


18 


2.55 


19 .... 


2.6 


20 


2.6 


21 


2.6 


22 


2.55 


23 


2.5 


24 


2.93 


25 


- 2.95 


26 


2.68 


27 


2.53 


28 


2.6 


29 


2.53 


30 

31 


2.53 
2.5 



STREAM flow: ROCK CREEK. 177 

Daily gage height, in feet, of Rock Creek at Zoological Park, D. C. — Continued. 



Day. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1900. 
1 


2.45 
2.43 
2.43 
2.4 
2.38 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

2.4 
2.4 

2.43 

3.C 

.3.03 

2.88 

2.58 

2.53 

2.8 

2.8 

2.83 

3.08 

3.13 
2.88 
2.8 
2.75 
2. 68 

2.6 

2.58 

2.68 

2.48 

2.48 

2.55 


2.43 
2.43 
2.38 
2.4 
3.03 

2.6 

2.53 

2.83 

2.95 

2.68 

2.6 

2.08 

3.88 

3.0 

2.8 

2.75 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

2.78 

2.73 

5.2 

3.35 

2.9 

2.9 

3.08 
3.05 
2.78 


3.3 

3.25 

2.88 

2.78 

2.75 

2.8 

2.85 

2.73 

2.7 

2.68 

2.65 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

2.68 

2.7 

2.78 

2.8 

2.8 

3.75 

3.18 

2.85 

2.8 

2.78 

2.73 

2.75 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 

2.8 


2.75 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

2.68 

2.65 
2.65 
2.65 
2.63 
2.6 

2.6 

2.8 

2.75 

2.68 

2.65 

2.65 

2.7 

2.7 

.3.1 

2.8 

2.73 

2.8 

2.8. 

2.75 

2.7 

2.7 

2.7 

2.65 

2.6 

2.6 


2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 
2.6 

2.55 

2.55 

2.55 

2.6 

2.63 

2.58 

2.55 

2.53 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 
2.5 
2.5 
2.9 
2.73 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.45 

2.5 

2.5 

2.45 

2.45 

2.45 

2.45 

2.4 


2.45 

2.73 

2.0 

2.55 

2.5 

2.45 
2.45 
2.58 
2.45 
2.45 

2.4 

2.35 

2.45 

2.48 

2.08 

2.65 

4.3 

3.45 

2.78 
2.7 

2.58 

2.55 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

2.48 
2.48 
2.43 
2.35 
2.35 


2. .35 

2.35 

2.35 

2.4 

2.38 

2.38 
2.38 
2.35 
2.33 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 

2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.3 
2.4 

2.4 

2.48 

2.4 

2.73 

2.48 

2.35 

2.38 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.5 


2.35 

2.28 

2.3 

2.28 

2.25 

2.25 

2.23 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.18 

2.15 

2.15 

2.15 

2.15 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.18 
2.28 
2.23 
2.25 
2.48 

2.28 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.15 


2.15 

2.13 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 

2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.1 
2.13 

2.65 

2.4 

2.2 

2.17 

2.15 

2.15 
2.15 
2.15 
2.15 
2.15 

2.15 

2.15 

2.45 

2.4 

2.6 


2.4 
2.3 
2.2 
9 2 
2.2 

2.2 

2.15 

2.25 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 
2! 2 
2.23 
2.35 
2.35 

2.3 

2.25 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.25 

2.23 

2.18 

2.15 

2.15 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 


2.1 

2.15 

2.15 

2.28 

2.35 

2.28 

2.25 

2.4 

2.48 

2.43 




2 

3 




4 




5 




6 




7 

8 




9 




10 




11 




12 






13 






14 






15 






Ifi 






17 






18 






19 






20 






21 






22 






23 






24 






25 






26 






27 






28 






29 






30 






31 













Rating table for Rock Creek at Lyon's mill, Washington, D. C, from August IS, 1892, 

to November 30, 1894. " 



Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Gage 
height. 


Discharge. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


Feet. 


Second-feet. 


—1.30 


5 


—0.10 


68 


1.10 


220 


2.60 


533 


— 1.20 


6 


.00 


78 


1.20 


235 


2.80 


583 


—1.10 


8 


.10 


89 


1.30 


251 


3.00 


635 


—1.00 


10 


.20 


100 


1.40 


268 


3.20 


689 


— .90 


13 


.30 


112 


1.50 


286 


3.40 


744 


— .80 


17 


.40 


124 


1.60 


305 


3.60 


800 


— .70 


22 


.50 


137 


1.70 


325 


3.80 


858 


— .60 


28 


.60 


150 


1.80 


346 


4.00 


918 


— .50 


34 


.70 


163 


1.90 


368 


4.20 


980 


— .40 


41 


.80 


177 


2.00 


390 






— .30 


49 


.90 


191 


2.20 


436 






— .20 


58 


1.00 


205 


2.40 


484 







a This table is strictly applicable only for open-channel conditions. It is based on seven discharge 
measurements made during 1892-1894. It is well defined between gage heights — 0.3 foot and 4.2 feet. 



178 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 



Estimated monthly discharge of Roch Creek at Lyon's mill, Washington, D. C. 
[Drainage area, 85 square miles.] 



Month. 



Discharge in second-feet. 



Maximum. Minimimi. Mean 



Run-off. 



Second-feet ri„„t>, ,-„ 
per square Depth m 
mile. - "icnes. 



1892. 

August 18-31 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1893. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December , 

The year 

1894. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 1-15 

August 20-29 

September 2-22 

October 

November 



29 
137 

29 
102 
137 



238 
390 
265 
124 
980 
133 
436 
261 
89 
436 
315 
198 



205 

156 

205 

232 

156 

41 

13 

31 

.58 

78 



26.4 
32.8 
23.7 
35.4 
44.5 



65.7 
94.0 
88.5 
65.9 
107 
46.0 
53.0 
22.0 
19.8 
39.3 
56.5 
58.6 



59.1 



56.0 
63.0 
68.6 
67.8 
59.6 
29.8 
8.1 
21.4 
24.9 
31.3 



0.311 
.386 
.279 
.416 
.524 



.773 

1.11 

1.04 

.775 

1.26 

.541 

.624 

.259 

.233 

.462 

.665 

.689 



.703 



.659 
.741 



.701 
.351 
.095 
.252 
.293 
.368 



0.162 
.431 
.322 
.464 
.604 



1.16 
1.20 
.865 
1.45 
.604 
.719 
.299 
.260 
.533 
.742 
.794 



9.52 



.760 

.772 
.930 



.196 
.035 
.197 
.338 
.411 



MISCELIANEOTTS MEASUREMENTS IN POTOMAC RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN BELOW 
SHENANDOAH RIVBR. 

William Rich Hutton, of New York, states that in the summer of 
1856 he made a careful examination of the flow of Potomac Eiver a 
short distance below Great Falls, using loaded poles reaching as near 
as possible to the bottom and placed at 5-foot intervals across the 
width of the river. The water was then at the lowest stage known to 
persons who had observed the river for many years. The discharge 
was 1,063 second-feet. Mr. Hutton was of the opinion that the river 
was as low in 1862, but no measurements were made in that year. 

In 1839 a civil engineer, M. C. Ewing, assistant to Major TurnbuU, 
United States topographic engineer, during the construction of the 
Alexandria Aqueduct above Georgetown, reported the discharge 
below Little Falls to be 1,904 second-feet. Thomas L. Patterson, 
of Cumberland, is reported to have found the discharge of North 
Branch of the Potomac at that point in the low water of 1838 to be 
24 second-feet, and at Patterson Creek, about 12 miles below, 48 
second-feet. Figures of discharge of Potomac River are given in the 
statement regarding the extension of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 
in House Ex. Doc. No. 208, Forty-third Congress, first session; also 
in House Ex. Doc. No. 137, Forty-fourth Congress, first session. 



STREAM flow: FLOODS NEAR WASHINGTON. 



179 



The following miscellaneous discharge measurements were made 
in the Potomac River drainage basin by hydrographers in the United 
States Geological Survey. Measurements in the fall of 1897 were 
made in connection with a study of the sources of pollution in the 
Potomac drainage basin. They were made at a time when the flow 
throughout the basin was considered generally lower than usual, 
although a' few measurements were affected by local rains which 
preceded them. . . 

. Miscellaneous discharge measurements in Potomac River basin below Shenandoah Biver. 



Date. 


Stream. 


Locality. 


Width . 


Area of 
section. 


Mean 
veloc- 
ity. 


Dis- 
charge. 


1897. 
October 14 

Do 


Carroll Creek (tribu- 
tary to Monocacy 
River), 
do 


Zentz's mill race, Freder- 
ick, Md. 

At Frederick, Md 


Feet. 

7 

11 
34 

21 

• 


Square 
feet.^ 

6 
38 

9 


Feetper 
second. 
1.40 

1.00 
.50 

2.22 


Second- 
feet. 
■ 5.6 

6 


Do 


Goose Creek 


1 mile above mouth, near 

Edwards Ferry, Md. 
Above Baltimore and Ohio 

R. R. bridge near Catoctin 

station, Md. 
Near Edwards Ferry, Md. 
In Seneca mill race, Seneca, 

Md. 
1 mile above mouth and 1 

mile above Point of Rocks, 

Md. 
Near Baltimore and Ohio 

R. K. bridge near Licks- 

ville, Md. 
Between Baltimore and 

Ohio R. R. bridge and 

canal aqueduct near Diok- 

erson, Md. 


19 ' 


Do 


Catoctin Creek, in 
Maryland. 

Broad Run 


20 


Do 


1 






11 

16 

5 
203 


20 
6 

2.5 

184 


1.25 
1.17 

1.24 

1.19 


25 


Do 

Do 


Catoctin Creek in 
West Virginia. 

South Tuscarora 
Creek. 

Monocacy River 


7 
3.1 


Do.......... 


o219 



a Gage height on Monocacy River at Frederick, Md., 4.4 feet. 

FLOODS NEAR WASHIKGTO:Nr, D. C. 

FLOOD OF FEBRUARY, i88i.a 

February 12 and 13, 1881, there occurred in the vicinity of Wash- 
ington the greatest flood, with the exception of that of June 2, 1889, 
hereinafter described, of which there is any record. 

This flood was caused by the gorging effect of an ice jam, and the 
discharge did not equal that of the freshet of 1877 or 1889, but the 
amount of damage inflicted on shipping, wharf property, and private 
property was far greater. The low portion of the city along the 
Mall and extending across Pennsylvania avenue was flooded, and a 
large amount of damage was caused by the flooding of cellars and 
first floors. The area of the flooded district was about 254 acres. 

The winter had been unusually severe in the long continuance and 
intensity of its period of cold, during which 23.2 inches of snow had 
fallen and unusually thick ice had formed over the river. A rise 
of only a few feet in the river from rains and melted snow caused a 

o Chiefly from Ann. Rept. Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, 1881, pt. 1, pp. 940-942. 



180 THE POTOMAC KIVEB BASIN. 

breaking up of this ice, which gorged and so obstructed the water- 
way that although the freshet above Georgetown did not attain the 
height of 1877 by 3 feet, the water rose to a height of 12.25 feet above 
low water at Long Bridge, or 3.19 feet higher than the freshet of 1877. 

The ice broke at Georgetown about 1 a. m. on Saturday, February 
12, 1881, the stage of the river being then 2 to 3 feet above high tide, 
but rapidly rising as the ice passed down and added to the gorge 
below, until the highest water was reached at 7 p. m., when it was 
about 0.8 foot higher than the flood of 1877. 

At Georgetown .comparatively little damage was done, owing chiefly 
to the precaution taken to secure shipping and movable property 
on the wharves. Along the Washington wharves the ice began to 
break about 2 a. m., the water being 4 to 5 feet above high tide, and 
moved off rapidly with the current, the channel at times being 
nearly clear of ice. 

The gorge did not at first form at Long Bridge, so far at least as 
concerned the Washington Channel, as is proved from the fact that 
between 3 and 4 a. m. on Saturday, February 12, a long boat and 
several scows were swept away from the Seventeenth street wharf 
and carried through the Washington draw, and the long boat was 
found later in the day lodged in the gorge below Arsenal Point, the 
scows having been carried still farther down the river. 

The complete gorge was formed below Arsenal Point, commencing 
about 7.30 a. m., and the successive additions of floating ice soon 
caused it to extend to Long Bridge. 

Whether a gorge was complete across Georgetown Channel at this 
point before the lower gorge extended to the bridge was not deter- 
mined, but subsequently the gorge became complete for the whole 
length of the bridge. It is probable, however, from the fact that 
large quantities of ice came across the flats above Long Bridge and 
passed through the Washington Channel, that a gorge independent 
of that below was formed across Georgetown Channel at Long Bridge 
at or about the time of its formation below. 

By 9 a. m. the entire waterway of Long Bridge was choked. An 
occasional movement of short duration served only to jam the ice 
more closely and raise it higher, until the water passed over the 
causeway and 2.2 feet above it. The pressure on the bridge became 
greater than it could withstand, and about 8.30 p. m. three spans 
of the north end gave way and were swung around on the flats below. 
This movement, together with a break in the railroad embankment 
between the river and Fort Runyon (which is one-third of a mile 
from the Virginia end of Long Bridge, on the railroad to Alexandria) 
1,006 feet in length, so far relieved the pressure that no further 
damage was done to the bridge. 



STREAM PLOAV: FLOODS NEAR WASHINGTON. 



181 



V By Sunday morning the water, which had been 2i feet higher on 
the Washington wharves than in the freshet of 1877, was off the 
wharves, but large piles of ice remained upon them, and many 
which escaped serious injury from lateral pressure while the ice was 
running were crushed when the water, by its subsidence, withdrew 
its buoyant support. 

The following are the heights above low water of the freshets of 
1877 and 1881 at the several points named: 

Height of Potomac River above Ipw water in floods of 1877 and 1881. 



Locality. 



Outlet lock above Georgetown 

Aqueduct Bridge 

Rock Creek 

Easbys Point 

Above Long Bridge 



1877. 


ISSl. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


19.72 


16. 7.3 


1.5. 96 


14.29 


1,3. 3.5 


13. 77 


11.99 


13.64 


9.06 


12.26 



Locality. 



Below Long Bridge. 

Arsenal Point 

Giesboro Point 

Navy-yard 



1877. 



Feet. 



S.44 
7.66 
7.73 



1881. 



Feet. 

11.20 

7.01 

4.93 

•5.01 



FLOOD OF JUNE, 1889. a 

June 2, 1889, there occurred the greatest freshet in Potomac River 
of which there is any authoritative record. The Potomac at Harpers 
Ferry rose to the height of 34 feet above the low stage. The water 
was at one time 2.8 feet ^bove the rails of the Baltimore and Ohio 
Railtoad on the bridge and 6.8 feet higher than the freshet of 1877. 
At Great Falls the maximum height was 16 feet above the top sur- 
face of the coping of the dam, 4 feet higher than in the freshet of 1877. 
At Chain Bridge it was 43.3 feet above tide level. The freshet was 
preceded by strong southeasterly winds, which made the tides at 
this point unusually high. 

Observations were taken while the freshet was running to deter- 
mine the levels above low water at various pomts from Chain Bridge 
down to Arsenal Point. The freshet attained its maximum height at 
about 10 a. m. on June 2. At that time the height of the water 
surface above low water at Chain Bridge was 43.3 feet, at Aqueduct 
Bridge 19.5 feet, at Easby's wharf and at the sewer canal 13.3 feet, 
at Long Bridge 12.7 feet, and at Arsenal Point 11.1 feet. It was 
within 3 feet of its maximum height for a period of about twenty-four 
hours and within 6 feet of it for about thirty hours. -After the river 
began to fall it fell rapidly, but for more than twenty-four hours it 
was too high for the sewers in the low part of the city to discharge 
their contents. Hence if a heavy rainfall had occurred during this 
period the sewers could not have carried off the rain water at all, and 
a still larger area of the city would have been flooded. The highest 
point reached by the water at the sewer canal at the foot of Seven- 
teenth street was 13.26 feet. Before this height was reached the 



o Chiefly from Ann. Rept. Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, 1889, pt. 2, pp. 985-986. 



182 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 



water backed up in the B street sewer and came into the streets from 
the sewer outlets. After the water rose above the level of B street 
it came into the city from the sewers and from the river direct. 
Great damage was done to private property in the city, as the water 
on B street was in many places over 4 feet deep, and reached to the 
store doors on the north side of Pennsylvania avenue, between Ninth 
and Tenth streets. >At B and Fifteenth streets the high water of the 
1889 freshet was 3.2 feet above that of 1877 and 0.7 foot higher than 
in 1881. 

The discharge area of the river at Aqueduct Bridge when the 
freshet was at its maximum was about 38,000 square feet. No 
velocity observations were taken, but on the assumption that C. C. 
Babb's estimate of 470,000 second-feet discharge at Chain Bridge was 
correct, the mean velocity at Aqueduct Bridge was about 12.4 feet 
per second. 

Rock Creek, which enters Potomac River 4,000 feet below Aqueduct 
Bridge, was estimated to have a maximum discharge of 20,000 to 
25,000 second-feet during the night of May 31 to J\me 1, 1889. 

SLOPE OF POTOIVIAC RIVER. 

The fall of the Potomac below Harpers Ferry is about 245 feet. Of 
this about 90 feet occurs in a short distance at Great Falls (PI. IV); 
and if this be subtracted the fall in the remaining distance is found 
to average about 2.5 feet per mile. 

As a water-power stream the principal disadvantage of the Poto- 
mac is the great variability of its flow. Good rock foundations for 
dams can generally be found at small depth, the banks are as a rule 
favorable, and there are several sites where large falls could be ren- 
dered available. Building materials are generally obtainable, and 
facilities for transportation are excellent. A very insignificant 
amount of power has been developed. 

Slope of the Potomac River. 
[Pis. V and VI.] 



Locality. 



Georgetown 

Harpers Ferry. 
Shepherdstown 

Dam No. 4 

Dam No. 5 

Cumberland... 



Distance 

from 
mouth. 



Miles. 
0.0 
61.5 
71.0 
85.0 
107.0 
185.0 



Eleva- 
tion 

above 
tide. 



Feet. 

245 
2S0 
319 
357 
010 



Distance 
between 
points. 



Miles. 



61.5 
9.5 
14.0 
22.0 
7&0 



Fall be- 
tween 
points. 



Feet. 



245 
35 
39 
38 

253 



Fall per 
mile be- 
tween 
points. 



Feet. 



40 
3.7 
2.8 
1.7 
3.2 



U. S. GEIOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO.Ifl; PL. 




EXPLANATION 
HORIZONTAL SCALE 1 INCH = 4 MILES 

VERTICAL SCALE 1 INCH = 100 FEET 



PuAN AND PROFILE OF POTOMAO RIVER FROM WILLIAMSPORT, MD. , TO CUMBERLAND, MD, 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPE.R NO. 192 PL. VI 




PLAI AND PROFILE OF POTOMAC RIVER FROM GEORGETOWN, D. C.,TO WILLIAMSPORT, MD. 



STREAM FLOW. 183 

THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAIi.a 

By Horatio N. Pakker. 

The idea of building a chain of internal improvements to connect 
the Potomac with the headwaters of the Ohio was conceived by- 
George Washington, whose life had made him thoroughly familiar 
with the country. In 1748 he was active in the organization of the 
Ohio Company, which was formed to trade with the Indians west of 
the Alleghenies, and whose charter made it incumbent on the stock- 
holders to settle a certain number of families in the Ohio Valley. His 
interest in that company, his expedition to Fort Duquesne in 1753, 
and, finally, his connection with the Braddock expedition of 1754 con- 
vinced him that it was imperative to establish water communication 
with the West. Accordingly, in the fall of 1774, he procured the 
passage of a law by the general assembly of Virginia, empowering 
such individuals as were disposed to embark in the enterprise to open 
the Potomac so as to render it navigable to Wills Creek. In a letter 
to Jefferson dated March, 1774, he said that the project was in good 
train and would have been in an excellent way had it not been for 
the opposition of the Maryland assembly, which was supposed to be 
instigated by Baltimore merchants, who feared the consequences of 
water transportation to Georgetown. The outbreak of the Revolu- 
tion interrupted his plans, though he seems always to have had this 
problem on his mind, for a little before the close of the war he left 
the Continental camp at Newburgh and made a long and perilous 
journey up the Mohawk Valley with a view of determining the prac- 
ticability of a water route to the West through that valley, returning 
convinced that the great rival route to the Potomac would be through 
New York. With the close of the Revolution, the problem became 
more acute than ever, for it seemed likely that unless qviick and 
cheap communication could be established with the territory west of 
the Alleghenies it would ally itself with the Mississippi Valley inter- 
ests and be forever lost to the eastern colonies. Washington strove 
to rouse Virginia and Maryland to meet the problem, with the result 
that the Potomac Company, incorporated by Virginia and confirmed 
by Maryland, was organized May 17, 1785. So far as known, the 
first minutes extant are now in the possession of the Chesapeake and 
Ohio Canal Company and are of the meeting held May 30, 1785. 
George Washington was its first president, but his services were 
required by his country and he was compelled to resign to accept the 
Presidency of the United States. The Potomac Company was only 
moderately successful under the immediate presidency of Washington, 
and when it was deprived of his counsels it became markedly less 

o Ward, G. W., Early development of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal project: Johns Hopkins 
Univ. Studies in Historical and Political Science, series 17, Nos. 9-10 and 11, 1899. 



184 THE POTOMAC EIVEB BASIN. 

efficient, and finally with his death lost the confidence of the public. 
However, it accomplished much work during its existence. At the 
time it was organized little more was expected of it than to render 
the Potomac navigable from Geo^geto^\m to Cumberland, from which 
point it was thought to be an easy matter to connect with the waters 
of the Ohio hj means of a weU-built road. The chief obstacles 
encountered in descending the Potomac were five in number. The 
first of these was at House Falls, 5 miles above Harpers Ferry, where 
a canal 50 yards long, with a total fall of 3 feet, was budt. The second 
difficulty was at Shenandoah Falls, inunediately above Harpers Ferry, 
and was overcome by a canal 1 mile long, wnth a total fall of 15 feet. 
At Seneca Falls a third canal, three-fourths of a mile long, with a total 
fall of 17 feet, was constructed. To this point no locks were found 
necessary, but at Great Falls they were used in connection with a 
cajial 6,000 feet long on the Virginia shore. The fiith and last canal, 
built for passing Little Falls, was on the Maryland shore, and was 
over 2 miles long, with a total fall of 37 feet. 

The charter of the company origuially provided that the work for 
which it Avas organized should be completed in tlu-ee ^^ears. It soon 
became evident that it would be impossible to fhaish the work in that 
period, and the general assemblies of Virginia and Maryland passed an 
act extending the time. Five such acts were passed by the Maryland 
legislatiu-e and ten hj that of Virgmia. Finally, in 1819, after exist- 
ing thirty-five years and spending $700,000, the Potomac Company 
applied to the board of public works of Virginia for relief. The 
board ordered Thomas Moore, its chief engineer, to make a survey of 
the river with a view of locating a canal in its valley, a polic}^ sug- 
gested by the board to the general assembly of Virginia in 1816. 

Moore's work was begun on June 30, 1820, and in liis report dated 
December 27, 1820, he stated that the constrviction of the canal was 
practicable, and estimated the cost at $1,114,300. The board trans- 
mitted this report to the governor of Virginia and he sent it to the 
general assembly, which adopted a resolution authorizing the gov- 
ernor to appoint a connnittee to cooperate with a similar one 
appointed by the governor of Jilaryland to examine mto the affairs of 
the Potomac Company. The committee met in Georgetown July 2, 
1821, and found the Potomac CdmjDany bankrupt. Having satisfied 
themselves that there Avere no means available for opening the 
Potomac River to navigation, they believed the time had come to 
recommend a continuous canal from tidewater to Cumberland, so 
they proceeded to that city July 15, and spent the rest of the month 
examinmg the river westward to Savage River. Having completed 
this work, under the guidance of Moore's survey of 1820, the commis- 
sioners began the location of a canal whose construction they believed 



STREAM FLOW : CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL. 185 

would at once be undertaken by the States of Maryland and Virginia. 
Sickness among their engineers and finally that of Moore himself, 
September 18, compelled the abandonment of the work after it had 
proceeded 157 miles eastward from its beginning. Moore died and 
was succeeded by Isaac Briggs, who rapidly completed the work. 
For the basis of their estimate the commissioners adopted a canal 30 
feet wide at the surface, 20 feet wide at the bottom, and deep enough 
for 3 feet of water. Its cost was estimated at $1,574,954. The gen- 
eral assembly of Virginia passed a bill incorporating the Potomac 
Canal Company in February, 1823, but the Maryland assembly under 
pressure from Baltimore failed to do so; hence the project was held 
up for a time. The failure of the Maryland legislature aroused the 
friends of the canal and popular meetings were held in Virginia, Mary- 
land, and Pennsylvania during the spring and summer of 1823. The 
sentiment in favor of the canal was found to be so strong that it was 
determined to hold a convention in Washington during the autumn 
for the purpose of uniting counsels, proposing legislation, and enlisting 
the cooperation of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and espe- 
cially that of the Federal Government, which up to this time had 
steadfastly refused to inaugurate a system of internal improvements. 
The convention met at Washington November 6, 7, and 8, 1823, and 
declared in favor of a canal. It appointed committees in each of the 
States interested to advance legislation and a central committee to 
give direction to all the various forces at work on behalf of the canal. 
Among other things, the central committee was empowered to memo- 
rialize Congress, gather all information possible, hasten the surveys, 
have commissioners appointed, open books for the subscription of 
stock, and, if occasion required, to call another meeting of the con- 
vention. Tliis convention is a landmark in the history of internal 
improvements in the United States, for the Federal Government had 
up to this time held it to be unconstitutional for it to construct such 
works, but it now vmshackled itself frona this impediment and entered 
into the canal project heartily. The Virginia assembly passed an act 
incorporating the Canal Company in 1824. Maryland passed one, too, 
after the jealousies of the Baltimore merchants had been allayed by 
an amendment permitting them to tap the canal with a branch canal 
at some convenient point in Maryland or the District of Columbia. 
The United States confirmed the incorporation and President Monroe 
signed the bill March 3, 1825. Finally, Pennsylvania passed an act 
sanctioning the canal. 

The United States engineers, under the immediate direction of Gen. 
S. Bernard, made an elaborate and detailed I'eport; which was not 
ready for publication until October, 1826. They proposed a canal 
divided into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal proper from tidewater to 



186 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Pittsbiu'g, and the Ohio and Erie Canal from Pittsburg to Lake Erie. 
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal proper was divided into three sec- 
tions — the eastern section, from tidewater to the mouth of Savage 
River; the middle section, from Savage River to the Youghiogheny 
at the mouth of Bear Creek; and the western section, from the mouth 
of Bear Creek tlirough the valley of the Youghiogheny to Pittsburg. 
The work done in preparing tliis report was very thorough and elabo- 
rate and necessarily consumed much time. The friends of the canal 
grew restive and in March, 1826, induced General Bernard to give out 
his estimate for the eastern section. It was, exclusive of the item of 
contingencies^ $8,085,000, which was, of course, for those days, pro- 
hibitive. The central committee called another convention, which 
met in Washington December 6, 1826. This body decided to their 
own satisfaction that when the errors of the United States engineers 
in estimating labor and materials were corrected, the canal could be 
built for less than .S5, 000, 000. At the instance of twenty members 
of Congress, President Adams ordered a new survey by James Geddes 
and Nathan S. Roberts, who reported that the eastern section of the 
canal could be built for $4,479,346.93. Subscription books were 
opened October 1, 1827. The beginning of work on the canal was an 
event. A party was formed in Washington and went to Little Falls, 
where, on the Fourth of July, 1828, President Adams removed the 
first spadeful of earth, and speeches were made by prominent men to 
the crowd which had assembled to see the ceremony. 

The company's charter required 100 miles of canal to be built in 
three years. Contracts were closed for 43 miles of the canal before 
March, 1829, and soon the whole 48 miles between Georgetown and 
Point of Rocks was under contract. By May 1, 1829, work had been 
done on all five "residences" into which the section had been divided. 
However, labor proved scarce, and it was found necessary to import it 
from Europe. Sickness broke out among the men, who contracted 
fever in the valley, and some of the contractors were compelled to 
suspend operations. It was late in October before the various gangs 
were all in good condition, but the winter proved an open one, and it 
was possible to continue the work far into it. The men proved dis- 
orderly, and the laws of those days were not stringent enough to deal 
with them promptly, so that ultimately the importation of foreign 
labor by the company was abandoned. The canal from Seneca Creek 
to a point within sight of Georgetown was completed in 1831. In the 
meantime, about January, 1828, the canal company became involved 
in a suit with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. This railroad had the 
active support of the Baltimore merchants, and the first spadeful of 
earth which marked the inauguration of work on it was removed by 
James Carroll, of Carrollton, on the very day and only a few miles from 
the spot where President Adams celebrated the beginning of work 
on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. By its charter the Chesapeake 



STKEAM flow: CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL. 187 

and Ohio Canal Company had obtained a right of way for a canal on 
the Maryland bank of the Potomac from Washington to Cumberland. 
By its survej^s the railroad was compelled to gain the Potomac at 
Point of Rocks, 12 miles below Harpers Ferry, and follow the river to 
the latter point; otherwise a tunnel would have to be built under the 
mountain spurs, a financially impossible alternative. The canal 
company now sought to exclude the railroad from laying tracks 
between Point of Rocks and Harpers Ferry on lands to which it 
claimed prior rights. The suit was finally decided in favor of the 
canal company in 1832, but by that time it was bankrupt and Federal 
aid had been withdrawn. Such a predicament offered an opportun- 
ity which was successful^ utilized by the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
road to complete its tracks to Harpers Ferry. After a series of com- 
promise proposals by the railroad to the canal company had been 
refused, the Maryland legislature took up the matter. May 9, 1833, a 
compromise was effected by the passage of a law calling for the joint 
construction of a canal and railroad through the disputed territorj^.- 
The compromise cost the railroad heavily, for it was compelled to 
subscribe for 2,500 shares of the canal company's stock ($266,000), 
and the canal company built the road through the disputed territory 
(Point of Rocks). In 1834 the railroad completed the road to the 
Maryland side of the Potomac, opposite Harpers Ferry, where it was 
compelled to stop, for the agreement signed by the two companies 
demanded that the railroad should not be built across the Potomac 
until the canal should have been completed to Cumberland, if that 
was done within the time named in the charter — 1840. At the time 
of the compromise, in 1834, Maryland came to the rescue of the canal 
with a loan of $2,000,000. This was soon exhausted, and $3,000,000 
more was appropriated by the State June 4, 1836, but on condition 
that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad be allowed equal rights between 
Harpers Ferry and Cumberland. This enabled the railroad to com- 
plete its line before the canal was finished. The summer of 1837 
found the canal completed only to Dam No. 5, 127 miles from George- 
town. The next 27 miles of the canal, to Dam No. 6 at Great Caca- 
pon, were in process of construction, and the last 50 miles, from 
Great Cacapon to Cumberland , were under contract . More funds were 
needed, and the general assembly of Maryland m 1838 advanced an 
additional amount of $1,375,000. By 1841 the waterway was com- 
pleted only to Dam No. 6, and both the canal and the State of Mary- 
land were in financial difficulties, so that further aid was not given 
until 1844, when the State of Maryland permitted the company, under 
certain conditions, to issue bonds to the amount of $1,700,000. 
With the funds thus raised the canal was completed to Cumberland in 
October, 1850. 

Since its completion the canal has not been prosperous. In 1877 
IKE 192—07 13 



188 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

the works of the canal were seriously damaged by a freshet, and this 
provided an excuse to burden the canal with more debt by issuing 
additional bonds, which was done with the consent of the State of 
Maryland. In 1889 another freshet did even greater damage; and as 
those in charge of the canal had no funds with which to pay for 
repairs, it was left in this condition for two and one-half years, during 
which time the elements added to the damage and increased the cost 
of reconstruction. 

At this time a movement was begun to dispose of the canal to cer- 
tain railroad interests, but the bondholders of 1844 asserted their 
rights and began proceedings to get possession of the canal. As 
trustees they were given control for a certain number of years on con- 
dition that they would repair it, retire the bonds of 1878, and carry 
out other conditions imposed by the court. Apparently the trustees 
have satisfied the court of the feasibility of their plans, for the period 
given them to operate the canal has been extended from time to time 
and it is still in their possession. 

To-day the canal between Georgetown and Cumberland lies on the 
Maryland side of the Potomac and pursues the immediate valley of 
the river to a point 1 mile below Pawpaw, where it passes through a 
spur of Town Hill by means of a tunnel 3,636 feet long and of circular 
cross section 27 feet across. This tunnel saves about 6 miles. The 
total rise from the level of midtide at Georgetown to the Cumber- 
land basin is 609.7 feet. This ascent is broken by 74 lift locks and a 
tide lock that connects Rock Creek basin with the Potomac. The 
canal has a depth of 6 feet throughout, and from Georgetown to Har- 
pers Ferry, 60 miles, it is 65 feet wide at the surface and 41 feet at the 
bottom. From Harpers Ferry to Dam No. 6, 47 miles, the width at 
the surface is 60 feet and at the bottom 36 feet. From Dam No. 6 
to Cumberland, 50 miles, the surface width is 55 feet and the bottom 
width 31 feet. The average lift of the locks is a little in excess of 8 
feet, though there are thirteen 10-foot locks and four 6-foot locks. 
The locks are 100 feet long and 15 feet in the clear and pass boats 
carrying 122 tons of 2,240 pounds. The canal is fed with water at 
eight different points. The fu'st is at the Beal mill race in Cumber- 
land, which is connected by gates with Wills Creek at the dam near 
the tannery of the United States Leather Company. The enormous 
amount of sewage which this race receives is, to a large extent, deposited 
as sludge in the head basin of the canal. This action is probably 
facilitated by the nature of the water received at the second supply 
point, the head-gates of the canal. This water is, as a rule, largely 
from Wills Creek, mixed with considerable water from North Branch, 
though in times of low water the entire flow of both North Branch, 
above Dam No. 7, and Wills Creek goes down the canal. The Wills 
Creek water is heavily polluted by mine waters, and therefore con- 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLV PAPER NO. 192 PL. VII 




A. CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL ABOVE WILLIAMSPORT, MD. 




B. POTOMAC RIVER AND CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CArJAL AT DAM NO. 5. 



STREAM flow: CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL. 189 

taiiis considerable quantities of iron and sulphuric acid, which are 
precipitating elements, as is the lime of North Branch. So great is 
the accumulation of precipitated sewage in the head basin that the 
canal company finds it necessary to dredge it out every other spring. 
When this is done the sludge is distributed over the towpath and 
river side of the embankment. It becomes very hard and most of it 
remains in place, though some of it is carried off by the river. In the 
winter, after the water is drawn off from the canal, the contents of 
the race discharge into the head basin as usual, but instead of con- 
tinuing down the canal, as when the canal is in use, they return to 
the river near the foot of the basin and below Dam No. 7. This iii'st 
supply is not properly a part of the works of the canal. The precipi- 
tating action continues for 51 miles down the canal to the third sup- 
ply point. Dam No. 6, where the water in the canal is said to be much 
clearer than at Cumberland. Dam No. 6, below Greenspring, admits 
river water, which to a large extent comes from South Branch, and 
hence is usually of better quality than the river water at Cumberland 
and by dilution greatly improves the water in the canal. From Dam 
No. 6 to Dam No. 5 the distance is 29 miles. About 6 miles above 
Dam No 5 the canal passes through what are known as Little and Big 
pools. These were originally high-water channels of the river, which 
have been incorporated into the cafial. Big Pool is 2 miles long. 
The occurrence of these pools is noted, because the current through 
them must necessarily be very small and so gives opportunity for 
sedimentation of material suspended in the canal water and also 
because they must add to the time it takes the water to complete its 
passage from Cumberland to the river. The canal and the river unite 
half a mile above Dam No. 5 (PI. VII, B), and in the half-mile stretch 
above the dam the canal and river waters are thoroughly mixed. At 
Dam No. 5 the canal resumes its separate course and a fourth point 
of water supply is established. 

From Dam No. 5 to Dam No. 4, the fifth point where water is 
received hj the canal, the distance is 2H miles. About 4^ miles 
above Dam No. 4 the canal reenters the river and continues united 
with it for 3.3 miles to a point 6,000 feet above the dam. In this 
distance the waters of the canal and river have become thoroughly 
mixed, and it is well to remember that this dam is but 67^ miles above 
Great Falls. From Dam No. 4 the canal continues 23 miles to Dam 
No. 3, at Harpers Ferry, the sixth point of water supply. Dam No. 
2. half a mile east of Seneca Falls and 40 miles below Harpers Ferry, 
is the seventh and last point of water supply until Dam No. 1 is 
reached at Little Falls. 

Throughout its length the canal is built on the surface of the land 
and so receives little ground water; in fact, the water has a tendency 
to seep out through the canal banks and in places to make the farm 



190 THE POTOMAC ETVER BASIN. 

lands too wet to be successfully cultivated. The current in the canal 
is very variable, changing in its different sections and with the stage 
of the river. Perhaps it would be correct to assume a current of 1 
mile an hour in normal sections. At times of flood portions of the 
canal are under water. 

Two expensive aqueduct^ carrj'' the canal over Conococheague 
Creek and Monocacy River. The myriad little runs that come down 
from the hillsides to the river are excluded from the canal by means 
of passages made for them beneath the canal through masonry cul- 
verts. Thus these streams find direct entrance to the Potomac, 
except tlu'ee, which enter Big Pool, and a few dry runs, the most 
unportant of wliich are one a Httle east of Monocacy River, one just 
above Harpers Ferry, and one 2 miles below Dam No. 6. 

Every winter the water is drained off from the canal and its service 
discontinued. The length of the canal season is usualh" eight to nine 
months, and repairs are made every spring before the canal is reopened. 
It is not found necessary to clean out the canal on account of suspended 
matter deposited during the season's use, but certain points on the 
canal need rather frequent dredging because of earthy material that 
is brought m over its banks by water flowing over cultivated ground 
and in other ways. The canal company has no sanitary regulations 
and the crews of canal boats use the canal as a receptacle for feces 
and for kitchen offal. A few of the privies of the lock keepers over- 
hang the canal, but the feces do not get into the river except in times 
of freshet. The canal company has succeeded in abolishing all but 
two or tlu'ee of the other pri-vdes which overhang its line, and these, 
it is expected, will soon be removed. During the season of 1905 but 
one man employed on the canal boats was known by the officials of 
the compan}'' to have suffered from tj^hoid fever. 

The canal company claims that by the terms of its charter it is enti- 
tled to all the water power of the river from Washington to Cumber- 
land, but it has never developed it for manufacturing purposes, one 
reason being that a survey made to determine the amount of power 
which could be made available indicated that the outlook in this 
dii'ection was not promising. A small mill at Williamsport and one 
at Seneca are the only ones above Washington to which power is 
sold by the company. At Dam No. 5 surplus water is sold for power 
purposes to a plant on the West Virginia side of the river, and the 
same people are contemplating the development of works at Dam 
No. 4. At Georgetown about 1,000 horsepower is sold. The water 
of the canal is not furnished to any community for domestic supply, 
though a few individuals here and there along the line use it for wash- 
ing purposes. 



STREAM POLLUTION, OCCURRENCE OF 
TYPHOID FEVER, AND CHARACTER OF 
SURFACE WATERS IN POTOMAC BASIN. 



By Horatio N. Parker. 



STREAM POI^LIITIOlSr. 

GENERAL ASPECTS. 

The prosperity of the industries of the Potomac Valley, with its 
attendant increase of population, is justly a cause of congratulation 
to the several States within which the basin lies. Yet this success 
brings responsibilities that can not be shirked, but must be wisely 
met if growth is to continue and health and happiness prevail. In 
dealing with the new problems it should be borne in mind that the 
wealth of every region is limited. Resources which were extrava- 
gantly wasted when there were few to claim them have to be carefully 
husbanded when there is hardly enough to go around. Acts which 
may be viewed with indifference in a sparsely settled country become 
crimes in densely populated communities. No resource will be more 
seriously affected by changed conditions than water. It is strictly 
limited in amount, and therefore to injure any source which is valu- 
able for manufacturing or domestic use is a spendthrift deed, sure in 
the end to increase the cost of living. For, one by one, the sources of 
pure water which are not too expensive to utilize will be preempted, 
and then will come the time when the supplies that have been ruth- 
lessly damaged must be purified. It can be done, but it costs money. 
Water rates will rise, and then every man will have to decide for him- 
self whether it will be more profitable for him to remain where he has 
built up his business or to migrate to some place where the supply of 
water is yet unpolluted, or where the citizens have been forehanded 
enough to keep, by well-considered legislation, the cost of purifying 
their water supply within reasonable limits. 

Often before industry is crippled by bad water a town or city expe- 
riences epidemics of water-borne disease that result from an impure 
water supply. This condition is brought about by contamination of 
the water by the feces of persons sick with Asiatic cholera or typhoid 
fever. Happily ia this country outbreaks have generally been 

191 



*192 THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN, 

limited to the latter disease. At first the policy of concealment is 
adopted by the afflicted community, and "malaria" is said to be 
present. Later, when suspicion arises that the trouble is something 
more serious, the terms "fever" or "typhoid malaria" are used, and 
when the outside world can be no longer deceived by euphuistic 
names it is admitted that "there was some typhoid last year." By 
this time the degree of contamination in the supply has either become 
sufficiently great to produce typical cases of typhoid fever, or so many 
cases develop at one time that an epidemic is said to be present. 
Public opinion is aroused, the town is bonded for the construction of 
a new water supply or for purification works, and the tribute of 
human lives demanded by pollution is stopped. 

Both sewage and industrial pollution may inflict great loss in the 
community by making its streams unfit for harvesting ice. The late 
Prof. Thomas M. Drown'' showed that ice in freezing has a decided 
tendency to exclude impurities, but he found this action to be most 
marked in the layers that are formed by the slow growth of the ice 
downward, because the surface in its rapid congealing entangles sus- 
pended matter, particularly if the water is stirred up by the wind. 
Moreover, if the ice is frozen after surface flooding, which is fre- 
quently brought about intentionally by the harvesters, it will contain 
all the impurities of the water so added. In making artificial ice in 
the ordinary way the entire body of the water is frozen and all the 
impurities are concentrated in the last part of the cake to freeze. 
Hence an impure water is particularly undesirable for ice manufac- 
ture. Likewise, when shallow ponds freeze solid, the impurities are 
concentrated in the bottom ice. 

The fact that ice forms in greater purity than its surrounding 
medium undoubtedly has permitted it to be obtained from question- 
able sources and still to be used with impunity. But outbreaks of 
typhoid fever have been attributed to polluted ice, and it is certain 
that a stained or ill-smelling ice is unsalable, so that consumer and 
producer alike suffer from river pollution. Indeed, probably most 
readers know of ice ponds which have had to be abandoned because 
the ice from them was no longer marketable. 

The question how best to get rid of the wastes of human life and of 
the industries which are a part of it is a very -pressing one. Every 
health officer is familiar with the subterfuges adopted to avoid the 
expense attendant on the proper disposal of these wastes. Very 
naturally, rivers have been seized on as the easiest way to solve the 
problem, because they passively accept all burdens given to their 
charge and carry them away. Indeed, water has been called the 
great scavenger, and not a few manufacturers regard the streams as 
natural sewers created by Providence for their use. 

a Jour. New England Waterworks Assoc, vol. 8, No. 1, 1893. 



STREAM POLLUTION : GENERAL ASPECTS. 193 

Natural beauty has a distinct value, and those who mar it impair 
the resources of a country, for a discolored repulsive stream will not 
be utilized for recreation purposes, and a stinking one will not be 
featured in realty advertisements. The monetary loss to communi- 
ties arising from severe pollution of the streams on which they are 
located is often very heavy, and the damage is reparable only at great 
expense. 

The constantly increasing cost of food has become a serious factor 
in the development of the country. Dishes that were common on the 
tables of our fathers have become rarities to many and are entirely 
foregone by not a few. In spite of this we are carelessly curtailing 
our fish supply, as the filth poured into our streams and rivers drives 
the fish from their spawning grounds. Some streams they have quite 
abandoned ; others they visit in decreasing numbers. It is true that 
we place large quantities of fry in various streams every year, but 
some fish — the sturgeon, for example — can not be perpetuated in 
this way. 

It should be remembered that some one always pays for water pollu- 
tion. If the laws are such that they relieve one corporation of caring 
for the wastes it creates, it is likely that they entail great expense on 
another. Thus a railroad which is compelled to use polluted water in 
its locomotives will in consequence have many repairs to make, and 
the increased cost of mileage caused thereby will have to be borne by 
those who travel and transport goods over the road. Similarly, if 
one man is unmolested in turning the effluent from his mill into a 
stream, it may drive his neighbor downstream to drill deep wells in 
order to introduce a new water supply into his works. Instances of 
this sort of thing might be multiplied, but it is enough to recognize 
the fact that though a river basin may lie in several States, as does 
the Potomac, its people are more closely bound together by its waters 
than are the inhabitants of a single State by the arbitrary boundary 
lines established for them. The silver river threads are direct lines 
of communication between each individual and every other below 
him on the stream. The ofi^enses that he commits against the water 
are paid for by his fellow countrymen in the basin, and the bill is 
large or small according to the gravity of the transgressions. 

INDUSTRIES DISCHARGING WASTES INTO THE STREAMS. 

In order that a clear understanding may be had of the various 
wastes which enter the Potomac, a description of the manufacture of 
the principal products of the Potomac basin is subjoined. 

LEATHER TANNING. 

Pelts are divided into three classes, according to their size. Hides 
are sldns from large and fully grown animals, such as the cow, ox, and 



194 THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN". 

horse, and make heavy leather, such as shoe soles, belting, and trunk 
leather. Kips are the skins from yearlings of the above species or 
from undersized animals. Skins are obtained from small animals, 
such as calves, goats, sheep, and dogs, and yield a lighter leather, suit- 
able for a great variety of purposes. The thickest and heaviest hides 
come from sparsely settled countries, and a hide varies in thickness 
and texture in different parts, being thicker on the neck.and butt than 
on the flank and belly. The skin of the animal is made up of three 
layers. The first or outer layer is known as the epidermis, and con- 
sists of a dead layer which is continually being worn off and of a live 
layer which renews the dead layer as it wears away. To this epider- 
mis the hairs of the animal are attached. The second layer, or corium, 
is the true skin, and the only part of the hide which is valuable in mak- 
ing leather. It consists of connective tissue composed of bundles of 
fibers which interlace somewhat closely on the under side, but are 
closely matted on the epidermal side. The third and inmost layer is 
a loose network of connective tissue, containing muscular fibers, fat 
cells, blood vessels, and sudorific glands, whose ducts pass through the 
corium and epidermis. 

The pelts come to the tanner ' ' green ' ' (fresh from the slaughterhouse) , 
wet, or dry salted (with the salt rubbed on the flesh side) , or as dry 
hides. The dry hides are mostly imported from South America. 
Green pelts are usually washed in clear water to free them from blood 
and dirt; salted pelts, if not dried, are washed in several changes of 
water to remove the salt, which retards the action of the lime in the 
unhairing processes and also induces efflorescence (spewing) on the 
finished leather. Dried hides must be softened by soaking them in 
lukewarm water or in the liquor drawn from the soaking of a previous 
lot. The water dissolves a part of the hide substance and putrefaction 
soon begins, the liquor developing an alkaline reaction, owing to the 
formation of amines and ammonia, which give it a much more rapid 
softening action on the skin. Great care is necessary in using this 
"putrid soak," for it is likely to attack the hide itself. The time of 
soaking varies from two or three days to as many weeks, depending 
on the thickness and dryness of the hide and the age and tempera- 
ture of the soak liquors. When the hide is soft enough to bend in a 
short turn without cracking, it is put into the "stocks," where it is 
pounded and rolled under heavy wooden mallets and rolls. 

The character of the water used in a tannery is important. Soft 
water makes the skins thin and slim, which is desirable in light leather. 
Water containing calcium or magnesium sulphate "plumps" or swells 
the hide, thus exposing a larger surface to the action of the tan liquors, 
which is desirable for heavy hides. Water bearing carbonates of lime 
or magnesia gives trouble, because in the tan pits these salts are trans- 
muted into tannates of lime and magnesia, and these rapidly oxidize in 



STBEAM POLLUTION : LEATHEK-TANNING WASTES. 195 

the air into tan-oxalic and tan-melanic acids, which impart a reddish- 
brown color to the leather. Ferruginous waters can not be used in 
tanning, for the ferric salts combine with the tannin and produce a 
black coloration of tannate of iron. Chlorides cause the hides to 
"fall;" that is, to become thin and flabby. Perhaps this is due to the 
greater solubility of the coriin in saline liquors. If used for washing 
after the liming, water having temporary hardness tends to fix the 
lime among the fibers in an insoluble form, thus causing the leather 
to be harsh on the grain and producing color spots because of unequal 
deposits of tannin and coloring matters while the skin is in the tan 
pits. If the water contains organic impurities it may have an acid 
nature and cause the hides to "fall" after liming. Highly polluted 
waters can not be used in tanning, because the putrefactive bacteria 
attack and destroy the hides. 

The "putrid soak" and the liquor from the washings of the green 
and salted hides are uniformly discharged into the nearest creek, being 
regarded by the tanner as so much dirty water and nothing more. As 
a matter of fact, this liquor contains much salt and organic matter. 
The putrid soak may also contain cresol or other preservatives, which 
are sometimes used in conserving the dried hides. The soak liquors 
may be the means of spreading anthrax. An outbreak of this disease 
occurred in Pennsylvania in the spring and autumn of 1897 and was 
investigated by Ravinel. Three tanneries operated by the United 
States Leather Company were involved. It was found that each of 
them had received a part of a cargo of hides from Chicago, and it was 
believed that they were the fomites which spread the disease. In one 
of the tanneries twenty-four cases of "malignant pustule" developed, 
one of which proved fatal. Below this tannery 12 head of cattle 
died, some of the deaths occurring as much as 10 miles downstream. 
In all, 12 men and 60 head of cattle died near the tanneries. The 
men were without exception operatives, while the cattle were on pas- 
tures watered by the streams carrying tannery effluents. 

Bacteriological experiments were conducted which led to the con- 
clusion that the process of tanning as ordinarily carried out does not 
in any way protect the operative from infection by the anthrax germ."' 

The second step in tanning is the "unhairing" of the hides, and this 
is accomplished in two ways — either by sweating or liming. Green 
hides are usually sweated by allowing them to hang in a room where 
the temperature is 70° F., and permitting disintegration to advance 
to the point at which the hair can be readily removed mechanically, 
but beyond which the hide is injured by being itself attacked. Before 
passing to the next stage, treating with tannin, sweated hides must be 
"plumped" by immersion in dilute acid, such as hydrochloric acid. 
In liming, the skuis are laid in a vat or pit with milk of lime, which 

a Trans. Am. Pub. Health Asso., vol. 24, 1899, p. 303. 



196 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIK. 

loosens the epidermis and forms a soap with the fatty matter. It also 
dissolves the coriin — the intercellular substance which fills the spaces 
between the bundles of fibers — loosening the fibers, which swell and 
plump the hides. Lime is used in excess in amounts varying from 
half a pound for a small, light skin, to 4 pounds for a heavy one. The 
vats or pits when prepared to receive the skins are called limes. The 
skins are turned over and worked about at intervals while in the vats. 
Heavy hides, which are to form a stiff, hard leather are limed for only 
few days, but when a soft, elastic, and pliable product is desired the 
process is continued for fifteen to twenty days or longer. Warming 
the limes to 86° or 90° F. hastens the action very much, but causes 
the skins to "fall." Dried hides are often treated by adding sodium 
sulphide to a thick cream of lime, forming a paste which is spread on 
the hair side of the skin, after which the hide is folded together, when 
the hair can be easily removed after a few hours. This process 
depends on the formation of calcium sulphide, which dissolves the hair, 
in contrast to the process employing lime alone, which dissolves the 
hair sheath as well as the intercellular substances and softens the epi- 
dermis, which comes off when the hair is scraped. Sometimes the 
sodium sulphide is added in solution to the milk of lime instead of being 
applied as a paste. Still another process for unhairing dried hides is 
the adding of arsenic sulphides to the amount of 10 per cent of the 
weight of lime. This forms calcium sulfarsenite (HCaAsSj), which is 
a very rapid depilatory. The waste from the lime pit is frequentl}^ 
turned directly into the nearest stream, but the best tanners utilize it 
as a fertilizer by running it into pools, where it is allowed to evaporate. 
The accumulated material is applied to the land, on which it seems to 
have a very good effect, probably on account of the large amount of 
organic matter derived from the hides, though the lime itself may in 
some cases be valuable to neutralize acid soils. It is not likely that 
those "limes" which contain arsenic could be used in this manner, 
and they cause much trouble in those places where entire tannery 
wastes are treated by intermittent filtration, because they kill the bac- 
teria, which, of course, destroys the action of the filter bed. It is 
wasteful and unnecessary to dispose of the lime waste by running it 
into a stream. It should always be recovered as a fertilizer. 

When the hide has been unhaired by one of these processes, it is 
washed, and the washings are added to the liquors wasted from the 
lime vats; it is then ready for the ' 'beam," a peculiar sloping bench 
or table on which the hides can be spread out and conveniently 
worked. On the beam the hair and epidermis are scraped off with 
a blunt knife, and the fatty tissues are removed with a sharper one. 
After trimming off the waste parts of the skin it is thoroughly washed 
and is usually again scraped on the beam ("scudded"), to remove 
as much of the lime as possible. The hair is sold for cheap cloth 



STREAM POLLUTION : LEATHEE-TANNING WASTES. 197 

and blanket naanufacture, or most usually is disposed of to plasterers. 
The flesh and partiall}^ saponified fat which are removed from the 
inside of the hide are collectively known as "fleshings," and are 
either dried and sold to glue manufacturers or are rendered and the 
fat sold for the manufacture of degras. The liquor which results 
from rendering the fleshings is turned into the nearest watercourse, 
but it should go to the lime pool. From the beam house the hides 
which are not to be made soft and pliable go directly to the tanning 
liquors, while those skins to which it is desired to impart these qual- 
ities are "bated" or "puered." Bating consists in soaking hides in 
a mixture of dog or bird dung in warm water. This quickly be- 
comes putrid and evolves hydrogen sulphide. By some it is claimed 
that the bate merely removes the lime from the pores of the hide, 
while others assert that it also takes away some of the coriin, thus 
leaving the fibers looser and allowing more perfect action of the tan 
liquors. The latter view seems to be more probable, for there is little 
doubt that the bacteria in the bate do feed on the hide substances. 
Moreover, the forms of tripepsin, pancreatin, etc., present undoubt- 
edly have some function, for when used alone they will cause a 
"plump" skin to "fall." Also the ammonia salts formed probably 
assist in the solution of the lime and the skin. The process lasts 
from two to four days, according to the thickness of the skin and the 
temperature. It is largely dependent on atmospheric conditions, 
being much more rapid in warm, sultry weather, such as precedes a 
thunderstorm, when a few hours are often sufficient to injure the 
skin. At all times great care must be used and the skins stirred 
about frequently to prevent too great local action, which would 
produce thin places or holes in the leather. Many proposals have 
been made to replace the offensive bate with pure solutions of weak 
mineral and organic acids, but such substitutes have not been suc- 
cessful, the objection being that they make the leather harsh and of 
a bad grain. 

To effect a complete removal of the lime the skins are passed from 
the bate into the ' 'bran drench," an infusion of bran and water at a 
temperature of about 89.5° F. Acetic and butyric acids are devel- 
oped and neutralize the lime. The wastes from the bate and drench 
are not large and should be utilized for fertilizer in the same way 
as the spent lime liquors. This, however, is rarely done, the custom 
being to turn them loose into some stream. Both the light and the 
heavy hides are now ready for the tanning process. There are three 
kinds of tanning — with tannin in any form (vegetable tannage), 
with metallic salts (mineral tannage or fawning), and with oils or 
fats (oil tannage). As only the first process is used by Potomac 
valley tanneries it alone will be described. 



198 THE POTOMAC EIVEB BASIN. 

The tanning liquors are usually made by extracting finely ground 
chestnut-oak or hemlock bark with water. Hides treated with infu- 
sions of the former make a tough, durable leather known as oak- 
tanned; infusions of hemlock bark make a hard, stiff leather known 
as hemlock-tanned ; a combination of the two produces union-tanned 
goods. Hemlock-tanned leather is of two varieties — acid and non- 
acid. In oak, nonacid, and union tanning the processes are essen- 
tially the same, and so only oak tanning and acid hemlock tanning 
will be described. 

Good tanning material yields other extractive matters than tannic 
acid when treated with water. They are nontannins and consist 
mainly of sugars, gums, resins, and coloring matters, which assist in 
tanning in several ways. Some of them are directly absorbed by the 
skin, increasing its weight and solubility; others set up fermentation 
in the tan pit, producing organic acids, which assist in the formation 
of a leather of good body and weight. Tannins derived from gallic 
acid cause a white efflorescence (ellagic acid) on the leather, while 
those of the protocatechuic-acid group deposit red coloring matters 
(phlobaphenenes). The tan liquors are prepared by systematic lix- 
iviation of the ground tan stuffs. Warm water is generally used for 
extracting the ground bark, and the process is usually carried on at 
the top of the tanner}", so that the liquor can be readily distributed 
about the works, either to pits which are to be strengthened up or to 
those which are to be filled anew. Prepared tanning extracts are 
often used, either alone or in conjunction with the liquor obtained 
by extracting the bark at the tannery. These prepared extracts are 
frequentl}^ adulterated with glucose or molasses, so that tests with 
the barkometer — a special form of hydrometer used for determining 
the strength of tan liquors — are of no value. In tanning, the hides 
("butts") are first hung from frames in vats ("suspenders") contain- 
ing weak or nearly spent tan liquors from a previous lot. There they 
are mechanically agitated in order that thej^ may take up the tannin 
evenly. Weak liquors are used at first, because strong ones would 
harden the surface of the butt and prevent the thorough penetration 
into the interior of the hide. This partial tannage strengthens the 
hides sufficiently for them to withstand the rough usage which they 
receive when transferred to the "handlers" — vats where the hides 
lie flat in a pile and -are worked over ("handled") once or twice a 
day for a month or six weeks. There are several of these vats, and 
the hides are treated S3^stematically first with weak and then with 
stronger liquors, after which they are put into the "laj^ers" — pits 
filled with alternate layers of hides and ground bark and velonia, etc. 
Strong liquor ("ooze") of 35° barkometer is run in until the liides 
are submerged, and the pit well is then covered with ground bark to 
exclude the air. After eight or ten days the hides are taken out, 



STREAM POLLUTION-: LEATHER-TANNING WASTES. 199 

rubbed clean, and ' 'laid away" again in fresh tan and stronger liquor, 
in which they remain a longer time. This process is often repeated, 
the time consumed being on an average from eight to ten months. 
The process may be hastened by keeping the liquor in the tan pit in 
constant circvdation, or by using pressure to force the liquor into the 
skins, or by using strong extracts and continually moving the skins. 
As a rule, however, rapid tannage makes the liides lacking in sub- 
stance C'hungrj^") or brittle. In oak tanning, of sole leather, 
usually one hundred and twenty to two hundred days are consumed. 
When the hide comes from the lay-away vats it is covered with a 
"bloom" of ellagic acid, which sole-leather and harness-leather tan- 
ners remove w4th "scouring machines" to improve the appearance 
of the goods. Scouring requires considerable water, which is stained 
red by the process. The waste is uniformly turned into the nearest 
stream and of course discolors it. 

In acid hemlock tanning, the hides are first colored with a weak 
solution of tannin, after which thej^ are abnormally swelled by being 
put in a 10 to 30 per cent bath of sulphuric acid, where they remain 
for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. They are then put in a stronger 
tannin solution and are finished in one hundred and sixty days. 

The waste tan liquors or sour bark liquors, as they are usually 
termed, are usually the most voluminous wastes from a tannery and 
consist of a small percentage of tannic and gallic acids, with consider- 
able organic matter in suspension. They are usually discharged into 
a stream, either constantly or in large volumes, at regular intervals, 
and are always strong enough to color the water a deep red and to 
stain the banks and bottom of the stream. The volume is so large 
that this waste is difficult to treat. The most successful way of deal- 
ing with it known at present is that devised by the Massachusetts 
State board of health ; in this process it is mixed with city sewage and 
treated by interinittent filtration. Such a method of treatment could 
not be applied in the Potomac drainage area, because the tanneries 
are located in places where city sewage is unavailable. Some tanners 
claim that they have practically no waste of sour bark liquor, because 
they maintain a constant circulation of the liquor through their works ; 
that is, when the liquor is so depleted as to be of no further use for 
tanning it is run back onto fresh ground bark, where its strength is 
renewed. In tanneries of this type it is generally found necessary to 
waste the tan liquor which first receives the hide after it comes from 
the "beam," as the lime salts extracted at that time are thought to be 
sufficient in amount to affect^large volumes of tan liquor, making it 
turn out a brittle leather. Many tanners refuse to adopt this con- 
tinuous-circulation process, claiming that they can not get the kind 
of leather they are in the habit of producing by its use. 



200 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

After hides are tanned they are washed in clear hquor, and when 
they have dried somewhat they are oiled on the grain and hung on 
poles in the drying loft. When about half-dry they are laid in piles 
("sammed") and allowed to sweat, so as to facilitate the "striking" 
operation which follows ; this is done by hand or machinery. They 
are then allowed to dry a little more, and finally they are rolled again, 
after which they are ready for the market, though in some factories 
the hides are colored on the grain side by a mixture of ocher with size 
and oil to give the leather gloss. 

In the final finishing up of the leather — that is, in cases where hides 
are oiled or stuffed at the tannery — considerable oil escapes into the 
nearest creek, making it unsightly. 

The spent tan bark, which formerly caused much complaint when 
it was discharged into the stream and allowed to accumulate about 
the tannery, is now disposed of without trouble, because it has been 
discovered to be a valuable fuel and is used for such both in extract 
plants and tanneries. But a single instance was found in the course 
of this investigation where any trouble was caused by spent tan bark. 
This was at Moorefield, where a tanner had accommodated the pro- 
prietor of a gristmill by furnishing him spent tan bark to stop the 
many leaks in the old dam which furnished power to the mill. It 
was said that the stream was considerably discolored in consequence. 

To sum up the wastes from the processes of tanning, most of them 
are putrefactive and therefore add materials to the stream which 
make it capable of sustaining bacterial life, and for this reason their 
presence is objectionable. Moreover, when all the wastes are turned 
into a stream, unless it is a very large one, they discolor it, making 
it unsightly and also cause a great nuisance by the odors of decompo- 
sition which rise in the stream and in the vicinity of the tannery. 
Wliere tannery effluents are discharged into streams polluted with 
mine waters large quantities of tannate of iron are formed, thus lit- 
erally converting the waters into rivers of ink. It is needless to say 
that this condition is vigorously resented by all who are unfortunate 
enough to be brought into contact with it. 

MANUFACTURE OP TANNING EXTRACTS. 

Tanning extracts are made by leaching various finely ground tan- 
nin-bearing materials, such as sumac and chestnut-oak wood, in 
water and then evaporating the solution to a thick sirup. It is per- 
fectly possible to manufacture the extracts without offense, but leaky 
vats produce extensive discoloration of the streams into which they 
discharge, and in certain places this causes much complaint. An 
entirely negligible amount of tannin escapes in the condenser water 
from all extract factories. Carbonate waters are unsuitable for the 
manufacture of extracts for use in dyeing, as they form "lakes" with 



STREAM POLLUTION : WOOD-PULP MANUFACTURE. 201 

the dyes, and consequently loss of coloring matter ensues. The con- 
centration of large volumes of the tannic juice made with carbonate 
waters causes the precipitation of normal carbonates of lime and 
magnesium, which are harmful in the tan pits. Iron in the water 
combines with the tannic and other acids extracted, forming ferric 
compounds, which give dark-blue, olive, and green precipitates that 
not only discolor hides, but waste the tannin-forming materials from 
which the extract is made. Moreover, compounds of the tannic acids 
with salts of the alkaline earths result when water containing appre- 
ciable quantities of these salts is used in extracting. Thus the extracts 
produced are poorer, and the process of manufacture is slower, because 
the deposits prevent the water from penetrating into the woody fiber. 

MANUFACTURE OF WOOD PULP. 

There are three common ways of manufacturing wood pulp, known 
as the mechanical, the soda, and the sulphite processes. The first 
two of these are used in the Potomac Valley and will be briefly 
described. 

Mechanical wood pulp. — The bark is first shaved ofl^ the wood and 
then the knots are removed, after which it is cut up into blocks, 
gaged to the width of the stones used in grinding. These stones are 
usually imported from Scotland and are of sandstone, covered over 
three quadrants with an iron casing, the fourth being left bare. The 
faces of the stones are kept rough, as they revolve, by a steel roller 
studded with points, which is pressed against them. In addition to 
this, two sets of channels, which cross each other in the center of the 
stones, are cut into them about one-quarter of an inch deep at dis- 
tances of 2 to 3 inches. They carry the pulp to the sides of the stones 
and give them increased grinding surface. 

The wood is forced against the revolving stones, over which a water 
jet plays, and by means of screws worked by a suitable gearing is held at 
the steady pressure necessary to insure a pulp of uniform character. 
The water jet carries away the pulp as fast as it forms, first to the 
rake, which catches the splinters that have escaped grinding; then 
the stream of pulp passes through the sorters, cylinders 3 feet long 
and 2 feet wide, of wide -meshed wire cloth, which separate the 
insufficiently disintegrated fragments. The fibers that are retained 
are subsequently reduced to the proper size in the "refiners," which 
are cylinders of sandstone, one above the other, the upper one of 
which revolves. The material that passes the refiners is again 
screened and returned to the pulp stream, from which the sorter is 
conducted through a series of screens of gradually increasing fineness, 
and thus graded into different qualities. The ground and sorted pulp, 
mixed with water, flows into a tank in which revolves a cylinder 
covered with wire gauze. The water passes through the cylinder, 



\ 



202 THE POTOMAC EIVEE- BASIN. 

while the pulp adheres and is delivered to an endless belt, which car- 
ries it to a pair of squeeze rollers. The pulp is compacted in passing 
through these rolls and sticks to the upper one, from wliich it can be 
readily removed when it has become sufficiently thick. Finally, it 
is cut into sheets, which are pressed into boards of convenient size 
for transportation. Mechanical wood pulp is suitable only for the 
cheapest kind of paper, such as newspapers, because, the fibers are 
short and do not felt together well, hence the paper lacks strength; 
moreover, it yellows readily, as the lignin and resin which the pulp 
contains predominate. Mechanical wood pulp is much used as a 
filler in manufacturing certain kinds of paper. 

No chemicals are used in this method of pulp production, so that 
there are no liquid wastes to produce noxious effects on streams and 
lakes, but the shavings and the finest fiber that escape cause bitter 
complaint. (See PI. VIII,J5, p. 222.) They soon become water-logged 
and sink, accumulating rapidly on the bottom of the stream, with the 
result, as one old fisherman aptly put it, "that the bedding, feeding, 
and breeding grounds of the fish are destroyed." The effect on the 
spawn is particularly bad, for the motion of the water rolls the material 
over the eggs and smothers them. Besides, in time the mass begins 
to rot and then certain gases are liberated, which also may have a 
harmful effect on fish life. 

It is wholly unnecessary to dispose of the shavings in the streams, 
for they can be burned at no great expense, and the laws wliich pro- 
hibit sawmill pollution should be extended to cover mechanical pulp 
mills. 

Soda wood jmlp."' — In the manufacture of soda wood pulp the logs 
are cut to thin shavings and are treated for about eight hours in 
digesters with a caustic-soda solution at a pressure of about 100 
pounds of steam. After being washed the pulp is bleached by a solu- 
tion of chloride of lime, the process consuming from six to eight hours. 
When the bleaching is complete the mass is reduced to a more fluid 
state by the addition of water and is pumped into large vats with 
porous bottoms through which the water runs. When the bleached 
pulp is thoroughly dr'ained it is pumped into a large storage vat, 
from which it is taken to a cylinder machine and is felted in the usual 
manner. 

The soda solution drained from the wash pans is treated in order to 
recover the soda. It is evaporated and the concentrate is turned into 
rotary furnaces where the lignin and other organic materials are 
burned off. The residue is composed almost entirely of carbon and 
sodium carbonate and is known as black ash. This substance is then 
passed through a bleaching ^process, the liquid or recovered soda 

oFor a full description of the processes used in the manufacture of soda wood pulp see Water-Sup. 
and Irr. Paper No. 121, U.S. Geol. Survey, 1905, pp. 24-33. 



STREAM POLLUTION : WOOD-PULP MANUFACTURE. 203 

(sodium carbonate) being conducted to the causticizing plant, while the 
sludge, known as black-ash sludge, remains in the tanks and is subse- 
quently washed out with water and carried away as waste. 

The soda recovered in the form of carbonate is converted to a 
hydrate or caustic soda by the application of caustic lime. The 
result is a sodium hydrate or caustic soda in the solution, while the 
calcium carbonate, or common lime, remains in the bottom of the con- 
tainer as a heavy sludge. The solution is drawn off for use in the 
digestion process. Considerable soda remains in the lime sludge 
after causticization, and repeated washings are necessary to recover 
all the soda. When the washings are completed the lime sludge is 
discharged. 

The solution used to bleach the pulp is prepared by the treatment 
of chloride of lime in solution tanks fitted with rotary agitators. The 
bleach is drawn off from the tank and the sludge is again treated in 
order to utilize all the bleaching solution, and the lime sludge left 
after the second treatment is discharged as waste. 

The important wastes are (1) the black-ash sludge, which is mainly 
carbon, with a small percentage of undissolved carbonate of soda; 
(2) the lime sludge (CaC03) from the causticizing process, which also 
contains a little soda; (3) the lime sludge (CaCOg) from the bleaching 
process, which contains a very appreciable amount of chlorine. To 
these should be added the considerable amount of wood fiber that 
escapes from the mill, and the bits of wood from the chipper. In 
some factories the various sludges are sedimented with good results, 
large quantities of suspended matter being thus kept out of the 
streams. 

At Luke, Md., there are no sedimentation beds and North Branch 
receives the entire waste of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Com- 
pany, which, in addition to the effluents above enumerated, contains 
alum, kaolin, a little ultramarine blue, and size. The effect of this 
pollution on North Branch is to increase the chlorine and alkalinity of 
the water. But these elements serve to neutralize the acid waters of 
Georges Creek, with good results. 

MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS. 

Coal gas. — Coal gas is made by the destructive distillation of bitu- 
minous coal. The by-products of the process are ammoniacal liquors, 
tar, and coke. In large plants the first of these is sold to ammonia 
works ; the second to works for recovering coal-tar products, and the 
third is used for fuel -in the plant or sold for domestic consumption. 
Small works are compelled to waste the coal-tar products and the 
ammoniacal liquors into the nearest watercourse, ujiless they are suffi- 
ciently near to recovery plants to make it profitable to ship them. 
lER 192—07 14 



204 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN". 

The retorts in which the coal is distilled are of fire clay, and in the 
various works are differently designed. The gas is led from the mouth 
of the retorts by vertical pipes to a pipe dipping downward into a 
hydraulic main and extending beneath the surface of the water which 
partially fills the main, the back flow of gas to the retorts being thus 
prevented. The hydraulic main is a long covered trough to which 
all the retorts are connected. In it most of the tar and oily products 
condense beneath the water and flow to the tar wells, while the water 
itself dissolves most of the ammonium salts out of the gas. 

The hydraulic main leads the gas to the condenser, which is con- 
structed in several ways, but always with the purpose of cooling the 
gas in long iron pipes, whose lower ends dip beneath the surface of 
water held in an iron tank. The lowering of temperature effects a 
condensation of those constituents of the coal gas which at ordinary 
temperatures are not volatile, and forms a tar of them, which sinks 
to the bottom of the tank and fiows to the tar well. At the end of the 
condenser is an exhauster, which keeps under suction the gas in its 
passage from the retorts to the end of the condenser and puts the 
rest of the plant under pressure. 

From the condenser the gas is passed by the exhauster into the tar 
extractor, a short tower filled with many horizontal, perforated 
plates, in passing through which the gas is relieved by friction of its 
last traces of tar. It then goes to the scrubber, where it comes into 
contact with thin films oi ammoniacal liquid from the hydraulic main 
or condenser, which trickles over pebbles, coke, etc. This liquid 
absorbs from the gas some of the carbon dioxide and hydrogen sul- 
phide, which combine with the ammonia. From the scrubber the gas 
goes to the washer, where clean running water removes the ammonia. 

The gas next flows to the purifiers, where its sulphur compounds are 
taken out. The purifiers are covered iron boxes which hold on a 
grating either slacked lime or hydrated ferric oxide. The gas enters 
from below and passes through the lime or iron, yielding up its sulphur 
as it does so. Usually the gas passes through four purifiers in succes- 
sion. The lime in addition to removing the sulphur compounds com- 
bines with the carbon dioxide which the gas carries and which is an 
undesirable constituent. The iron extracts only the sulphur. In 
time both iron and lime become exhausted, being converted by the 
sulphur into very ill smelling sulphides. The iron can be renewed 
two or three times by exposing it to the air, which oxidizes it. In the 
end, both substances have to be disposed of, which is done by dump- 
ing them into the nearest stream, or sometimes by selling them. 
From the purifiers the gas goes through the meter house into the 
holders, from which it is delivered to the mains. The wastes in the 
manufacture of coal gas in works of considerable size favorably situ- 



STREAM POLLUTION : ILLUMINATING-GAS MANUFAGTUEE. 205 

ated for shipment are all recovered, because the by-products obtained 
from them are valuable. Many small plants scattered about tha 
country find it impossible to ship these products at a profit and there- 
fore they turn them into the nearest watercourse, where they produce 
a highly objectionable state of affairs. The light tars float as an oily 
iridescent film on the surface of the water, giving it a disgusting appear- 
ance. The heavy tars sink to the bottom and foul the bed of the 
stream. The effect of the ammoniacal wastes is not visible, but 
ammonium salts are good food material for bacteria and microscopic 
organisms, and therefore the tendency of such wastes would be to 
foster their development. Moreover, gas wastes are believed to be 
very fatal to fish, and even when present in quantities insufficient to 
kill the hardy varieties, they impart a flavor of gas to the flesh which 
compels their abandonment as food. 

Water gas. — Water gas is produced by the action of steam on incan- 
descent carbon and is composed mainly of hydrogen and carbon 
monoxide. It has a high heat value, but is a poor illuminant, and 
therefore it has to be enriched with various hydrocarbons, such as 
ethane, ethelyne, acetylene, and benzene, which impart to it the 
necessary light-giving quality. As these substances are 3rielded by 
petroleum, it is used to carburet the gas. 

The manufacture of water gas is carried on in three chambers. 
The first is called "the generator," the second "the carburetor," and 
the third "the superheater." The chambers are circular, the super- 
heater being the tallest. Both it and the carburetor are lined with 
fire brick and are filled with a checker work of the same material. 

Anthracite is put into the generator and brought to incandescence 
by a blast of air wliich is introduced at the bottom. Thus is liber- 
ated a gas known as "producer gas," which consists mostly of nitro- 
gen, carbon dioxide, and a little carbon monoxide. This producer 
gas escapes into the top of the carburetor, and in circulating down 
through it is partly burned by a blast of air introduced near the top 
of the chamber. This combustion makes the brickwork hot. From 
the bottom of the carburetor the gas is conducted to the bottom of 
the superheater, where another blast accomplishes the complete com- 
bustion and raises the checkerwork to red heat, the gases finally 
escaping through a hood at the top of the chambers. When both 
the carburetor and superheater have reached the desired tempera- 
ture the air blasts are shut off and superheated steam is blown in at 
the bottom of the generator. This forms carbon monoxide, or water 
gas, which passes into the carburetor, where it meets a stream of oil 
introduced at the top. The oil is decomposed into illuminants which 
mix with the water gas and pass into the superheater, where they 
are completely fixed as incombustible gases. 



206 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

From the superheater the gas is led to a holder, from which it 
passes through a purifying apparatus iuvolving principles identical 
to those that obtain m the manufacture of coal gas. 

Water gas is very poisonous owing to the large percentage of car- 
bon monoxide that it carries, and much of the harm that is com- 
monly attributed to so-called sewer gas comes from defective gas 
piping and inefficient burners in conjunction with the water-gas 
service. 

The tar from, the manufacture of water gas is of less value than 
that from coal-gas production. It can be recovered and used as fuel 
in the plant, thus obviating the objectionable effects, similar to those 
of coal-gas tar, which result when the waste is turned directly into a 
stream. 

MANXTFACTIIRE OF AMMONIA. 

The chief source of ammonia is the gas liquor fi'om the hydraulic 
mains and scrubbers of coal-gas works. By destructive distillation 
the nitrogen contained in coal is largely converted into ammonium 
salts, the principal of which are the carbonate, sulphide, and sulpho- 
hydrate, which are volatile in steam, and the sulphate, thiosulphate, 
sulphite, sulphocyanide, and ferrocyanide, which are not. All of 
these compounds, together -with free ammonia, are found in gas 
liquor. 

The gas liquor received at the ammonia works is allowed to stand 
in order that the tar may settle out, and then clear liquor is distilled 
to separate the ammonia. There are several forms of apparatus 
for this purpose. In the simplest of them the liquor is heated in one 
still until all the volatile salts are expelled, after which it is draA\'n 
into another, where milk of lime is added. Then heat is again applied 
until the fixed salts are decomposed and the ammonia is driven off. 
The ammonia and volatile salts are condensed in a chamber contain- 
ing sulphuric or hydrochloric acid. Some hydrogen sulphide and 
other foul-smelling gases pass out of the absorption vessel and are 
led into the chimney or otherwise disposed of. 

The only liquid waste from anmionia works is the lime sludge from 
the exhausted milk of lime. It should be sedimented and the solid 
portion sold as fertilizer, for which it is well suited on account of 
the traces of ammonia salts that it contains. The supernatant liquid 
on the sedimentation beds contains lime salts in solution and is 
usually disposed of by runnmg it into a convenient stream. 

WOOL SCOimiNG. 

Before raw wool can be manufactured it must be freed fi-om the 
impurities wliich constitute 30 to 80 per cent, of its total weight. 
They consist of the "yolk" and suint, wliich exude from the body of 



STREAM POLLUTION : WOOL-SCOURING WASTE. 207 

the animal with the perspiration, and the dirt and dung mechan- 
ically mixed with them. The yolk is made up of fatty or waxlike 
bodies which are not easily saponified with alkali, but which can be 
emulsified with soap solutions and thus easily removed from the 
fiber. The suint consists mainly of potassium salts of acetic and 
fatty acids, together with sulphates, chlorides, phosphates, and 
nitrogenous bodies. All these substances are generally removed 
by washmg the raw wool in especially designed machines. It was 
formerly a common practice to wash wool in stale urine, which was 
effective because of the ammonium carbonate it contained. This 
has been largely replaced by ammonia, soaps, etc. The wool is first 
immersed in a soap solution which contains more or less impurities 
from its previous use. From this machine it passes into a second 
containing cleaner water and finally into a third which contains clear 
water or fresh soap liquor. 

The wool is then taken out and dried, while the foul-smelling, 
dirty-brown liquor from the first macMne is sometimes drawn off, 
evaporated, and calcined to recover the potassium salts, which 
amount to 1 to 8 per cent of weight. In some countries the liquor 
in wliich the wool is washed is treated to recover the wool grease. 
To do this the liquor from the third tank is settled to remove the 
coarse dirt, and then sulphuric acid is added to decompose the salts 
and set free the fatty acids, which rise to the surface and carry the 
• wool grease with them. The water is drawn off from the magma, 
which is placed in canvas bags. The grease is kept in liquid condi- 
tion until all sediment is deposited, when it is turned into casks, in 
which it solidifies on cooliag. It is used as a lubricant and in leather 
dressing. 

In this country the potassium salts are rarely recovered, it being 
customary to run the entire waste to the stream. Some of the 
largest mills now remove the fats by a gasoline process and after- 
wards wash the wool to free it from dirt. The fats thus saved 
are valuable by-products. The amount of water used in scouring 
wool is usually 100 gallons to the pound, though in some works it 
rises to 200 gallons. In a modern process of washing now coming 
into use the amount of water is reduced to 50 gallons. The liquid 
resulting from scouring wool is large in volume and rich in organic 
matter and in mineral matter in suspension and solution, and is not 
readily acted on by the agents of decomposition, putrefaction, and 
nitrification, so it is a most undesirable addition to the waters of a 
stream. It is well to distinguish between the scouring liquor proper, 
which is small in volume and contains most of the impurities, and the 
rinse water, which is of great volume and is relatively clean. The 
Massachusetts State board of health has found that wool scourings 



208 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

can be ptirified by sand filtration, after being mixed with consider- 
able quantities of city sewage. So far as Potomac River is concerned, 
however, this is not important, for city sewage in many places is not 
to be had, 

WASHING WOOLEN CLOTH. 

In the process of washing woolen cloth large quantities of water 
are used, and the water is grossly polluted thereby, for it becomes 
charged with organic matter. When the rinse from the finished 
goods is discharged into streams, it adds considerably to the putres- 
cible material they contain and is therefore exceedingly undesirable. 

Waste from shoddy mills consists of dirt and organic matter 
washed from the rags and stock. Large quantities of acid are often 
used and the wastes are decidedly deleterious in theii" effect. 

DYEING. 

General discussion. — The art of dyeing consists of imparting to vari- 
ous substances, mostly fabrics, a color of considerable permanence. 
Dyes are distinguished from pigments by then* solubiUty in water, and 
a pure supply of that element is a necessity to the trade. The solution 
of the colors requires care, those derived from coal tar being particu- 
larly prone to spot and streak the goods, if this part of the process is 
carelessly performed. The dyeing is done in iron, wooden, or stone 
vessels, whose shape and capacity are adapted to the amount and 
quantity of goods handled. Some dyes require a high temperature, 
while others are injured by much heat. In any case, direct heating 
is always avoided, it having been found best to heat the vats by steam 
coils. 

The phenomena of dyeing are explained by the mechanical and the 
chemical theories. The former assumes a mechanical absorption of 
the coloring matter into the pores of the fiber, while the latter regards 
the process as a chemical combination between the dye and some or 
all of the constituents of the fiber. The chemical theory seems the 
better adapted to animal fibers, but the mechanical theory is perhaps 
more applicable to vegetable fibers. 

Thorp groups dyes into five classes, according to the method of their 
application — (1) direct dyes, which yield full colors with the use of a 
mordant; (2) basic dyes, which form insoluble tannates and require 
a mordant on vegetable fibers, but which dye animal fibers without a 
mordant; (3) acid dyes, which do not require a mordant on animal 
fibers, but which have only a hmited use on vegetable fibers; (4) mor- 
dant dyes, which require a mordant on both animal and vegetable 
fibers ; and (5) special dyes, which can be applied to the fiber only by 
special processes. 



STBEAM POLLUTION : DYEING WASTES. 209 

The trade distinguishes between substantive and adjective dyeing. 
In substantive dyeing the colors are applied to all fibers without a 
mordant, but "assistants," such as Glauber's salt, sodium phosphate, 
borax, soda, and soap ai'e used with them to iasure an even disposition 
of the color, thus avoiding streaky results. The assistants do not 
combine with the color. As dii-ect dyes are very soluble, the goods 
are likely to bleed when washed, but silks take them very well, giving 
brilliant shades and fast colors. A little acetic acid makes them fast 
milling. Adjective dyeing requires the use of a mordant. Mordant- 
ing is of prime importance, and has for its object the precipitation on 
the fiber of some substance which has an affinity for and which will 
effect a more or less complete fixing of the coloring matter used for 
dyeing. The nature of the mordant depends on the character of the 
fiber, the kind of dye, and the eft'ect sought. Wool is usually mor- 
danted by boiling it in a solution of a metallic salt in the presence of 
some acid; bichromate of potassium and sulphuric acid are often used. 
Silk can be mordanted in this way, but it is usually done at lower tem- 
peratures. Cotton has little affinity for coloring matters and has to 
be specially prepared. It has an affinity for tannic acid and so is 
commonly steeped in a solution of sumac or catechu, after which it is 
washed and worked in a bath of some soluble metallic salt. An insol- 
uble compound results which then has the property of uniting with the 
dye. It is not always necessary to treat cotton with tannin, for an 
inmaersion in the mordant followed by oxidation or ageing is some- 
times sufficient. The operations of dyeing are multifarious, and it 
would be out of place to detail them here. Only the enumeration of 
some of the chief mordants will be attempted, with the description 
of a few common processes, in order to give an idea of some of the 
substances that may be met in dye-house effiuents. The mordants 
are both mineral and organic. They are as follows: 

Mineral mordants: 

Aluminum acetate. 
Aluminum sulpho-acetate. 
Ferrous sulphate. 
Ferrous acetate. 
Nitrates of iron. 
Nitro-sulphates of iron. 
Potassium bichromate. 
Copper sulphate. 

As assistants the common mineral acids are used, also acetic, oxalic, 
tartaric, and citric acids. 

Cotton dyeing. — Indigo requires no mordant and is always applied 
cold. A common method is to make a mixture in definite proportions 
of water, lime, copperas, and indigo, and apply it in a series of vats. 
Zinc powder often replaces the copperas. 



Mineral mordants — Continued. 

Copper nitrate. 

Tartar emetic. 

Stannous chloride. 

Stannous nitrate. 
Vegetable mordants: 

Tannic acid. 

Sumac. 

Catechu. 



210 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

■Methylene blue is used to produce indigo shades. The cotton is 
mordanted with sumac at 160° F., given several turns, and allowed 
to steep for ten hours, after which it is ^\a'ung out and worked for 
twenty minutes in a 2^ per cent solution of tartar emetic. Then it is 
washed and dyed in a bath prepared with 3 per cent acetic acid at 
75° F., the temperature being gradually raised to 160° F. 

Aniline black is a dye of unknown constitution, and the color is 
produced directly on cotton by means of aniline oil in the presence of 
oxidizing agents. Two methods of procedure are used — the warm 
and the cold. In the warm method 75 parts of water, 32 of hydro- 
chloric acid, 16 of potassium bichromate, and 8 of aniline oil are taken. 
The acid and aniline are each diluted with water and carefully mixed. 
The solution thus obtained is then added to the main volume of the 
water. The potassium bichromate is previously dissolved and added 
after the aniline. The cotton is immersed and worked for three-fourths 
of an hour in the cold, after which the temperature is gradually run up 
to 140° or 150° F. In the cold method 18 parts of hydrochloric acid, 
8 to 10 of aniline oil, 20 of sulphuric acid at 66° B., 14 to 20 of potas- 
sium bichromate, and 10 of copperas are compounded as in the warm 
process, except that much less water is used. The goods are worked 
in one-half of the material for an hour or so, after which the rest is 
added and the operation continued for about one and one-half hours 
longer, when the goods are washed and boiled in a soap solution. In 
both processes the cotton is subjected to further oxidation with potas- 
sium bichromate, copperas, and sulphuric acid, which tends to prevent 
greening. Chlorate of soda is frequently used as an oxidizing agent 
in the dye bath, in which case the replacing of the potassium bichro- 
mate with vanadium chloride or vanadate of ammonium has been 
recommended. 

Linen dyeing. — The uses to which linen is commonly put make it 
necessary that the colors it is dyed be fast. Accordingly, alizarin and 
indigo are generally used. 

Wool dyeing. — Indigo is easily applied and extensively used to pro- 
duce light and dark shades on wool by simply boiling the goods in a 
bath of the dye, sulphuric acid, and sodium sulphate. Loose wool is 
dyed in the so-called fermentation vat by keeping the wool below the 
surface of the liquid and working it with long rakes. After a suffi- 
cient time it is taken out and put in cord bags or upon rope screens 
and drained and oxidized, being then dipped into a dilute acid to 
remove the soluble impurities. Finally it is washed and dried. 

Logwood is the real base of the blacks on wool, and is used with 
potassium bichromate as a mordant. As a rule the coal-tar colors are 
applied to wool without special treatment at boiling temperatures in 
a bath of 10 per cent sodium sulphate and 2 to 4 per cent of sulphuric 
acid. 



STREAM pollution: WHISKY-MANUFACTURE WASTES. 211 

Silk dyeing. — Silk has a great affinity to coal-tar colors, and can be 
dyed without a mordant, though soap is commonly used to prevent 
spotting and streaking. Heavily weighted goods are obtained by dip- 
ping them in an iron solution and then in liquids containing tannin, 
a process that is often repeated several times. 

Besides the dyes mentioned in the above processes the following are 
in common use: Fuchsine, safranine, methyl- violet, and methyl- 
green. 

Resume. — The amoimt of organic matter contained in dye wastes is 
as a rule small, so that apparently they hurt the streams chiefly by 
discoloring the water. In places this may be a serious nuisance, 
while elsewhere it may be a trifling matter. The extent of the injury 
is determined by the use to which the water that receives these dyes is 
put. In some processes of dyeing much organic matter is washed 
from the cloth, and then the pollution assumes a new character and 
becomes important. 

MANUFACTURE OF WHISKY. 

The first step in wliisky manufacttire is the making of the mash, 
which is done by mixing in the mash tub raw and malted grains, the 
former largely predominating, with water at 150° F., and agitating 
the mixture. The first malting requires about fourteen hours. 
Successive additions of water at 190°-200° maintains the tempera- 
ture, the object being to convert all of the starch into maltose, which 
is directly fermentable by the action of the yeast, and to accomplish 
this the mashing must be done at a temperature of about 146°, for 
above it maltose production begins to decrease. By keeping within 
this limit of temperature the diastase from the small admixture of 
malt will not only greatly change the starch, but will bring about a 
hydration of the residual dextrine, converting it into maltose. When 
the wort has attained its maximum density, as found by the saccha- 
rimeter, it is drained off and a quantity of water at 190° F. is run 
upon the residue in the mash tub and allowed to infuse with it for one 
or two hours. The second wort is then added to the first. A third 
weak wort is often obtained and used to infuse new lots of grain. It 
is stated that in this direct mashing 10 per cent of the starch escapes 
decomposition, even though the grain may be finely ground. Hence 
a little preliminary warming with the water, to which has been added 
a little ground malt, followed by heating with water under a pressure 
of several atmospheres, often precedes the addition of the main quan- 
tity of malt, which is to complete the conversion of the starch and 
dextrine into maltose. Reduction of the loss by 5 to 10 per cent is 
reported by this method. 

The second step in the manufacture of whisl?y is the fermentation of 
the wort. This is done by adding to the wort, which is always cooled 
beforebeginning the process, yeast (usually fresh brewer's or compressed 



212 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIE". 

yeast) that has previously been softened in water. For 100 Hters of 
grain, 8 to 10 hters of hquid yeast or IJ kilograms of compressed 
yeast are used, and the best results are obtained when the tempera- 
ture through fermentation rises to 94° F. Three stages of fermen- 
tation are recognized — a preliminary fermentation, during which the 
yeast cells grow without producing much alcohol; a main fermenta- 
tion, during which the maltose is fermented; and an after fermenta- 
tion, during which the dextrine is largely changed into maltose, 
which in turn is changed into alcohol. The time of fermentation 
varies from three to nine days, and the process is carried on until the 
density of the liquor as determined by the saccharimeter ceases to 
lessen. 

The third step in the manufacture is the distillation of the fermented 
wort, which is done in stills varying from great simplicity to extreme 
complexity in construction. 

The refining of spirits consists of the redistillation of the "low 
wines," as the product of the first distillation is known. The low 
wines have a specific gravity of 0.975, and the first product of the 
redistillation is a milky-white spirit abounding in oil. This is fol- 
lowed by a clear spirit that is caught separately, and the remaining 
weak spirit, . known as "faints," is mixed with the low wines for 
another distillation. 

After distillation the whisky is put in barrels, the inside of which has 
been charred. This is done to give the well-known amber color to the 
whisky and more particularly to assist in its aging, for the charred 
wood brings about a very complete oxidation of certain constituents 
of raw whisky, thereby imparting a delicate bouquet to it, and also 
relieves it of the injurious constituents. The barreled liquor is 
stored under bond for various periods and then is marketed. 

The waste in the manufacture of whisky is the exhausted mash and 
residue from the stills. In many cases it is disposed of by feeding it to 
hogs and cattle. These animals are often herded under the most dis- 
gusting conditions, and the nuisance they create is almost greater 
than that which would result from turning this highly putrescible 
waste into a small water course. Sometimes the animals raised on the 
waste are disposed of to packers at favorable prices, and as often they 
are sold at a loss, so that from both a sanitary and a financial stand- 
point this method of disposal may be considered a failure. 

The exhausted mash is a valuable food material when properly 
dried, and many works are recovering it and placing it on the market 
as a cattle food. The large volume of liquor treated makes the process 
an expensive one, and the profits are not always sure. A profitable 
method of disposing of this waste has been devised, and the reader is 
referred to Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 179 for informa- 
tion concerning it. 



STEEAM POLLUTION : NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 213 

POLLUTION IN NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

North Branch of Potomac River rises at the Fairfax Stone, the 
extreme southwestern point of Maryland, at the eastern edge of the 
high plateau which divides the waters of Potomac and Blackwater 
rivers. The stream is the boundary line between Maryland on the 
north and West Virginia on the south. From its source to the towns 
of Piedmont, W. Va., and Westernport, Md., the river flows in a geir- 
eral northeasterly direction in the narrow valley it has carved for 
itself between Backbone Mountain, Maryland, and New Creek Moun- 
tain, West Virginia. The course of the river is tortuous and its cur- 
rent is swift. It has high steep banks, and the bed is filled with 
stones and bowlders. The channel lies nearer Backbone than New 
Creek Mountain, with the result that the northern or Maryland 
streams, with the single exception of Savage River, which has cut its 
way across the northern valley wall, are shorter than those on the 
West Virginia side. Both the northern and southern tributaries are 
torrential in character, being typical bright, tumbling mountain 
brooks. The West Virginia feeders are most important, the largest 
of them taking on the dignity of rivers, while most of the others are 
locally known as creeks, in contradistinction to the little runs that 
enter from Maryland. Both sets of streams have precipitous, quick- 
spilling watersheds; consequently in winter and spring the river and 
its tributaries are high and even impassible; in summer the feeders 
shrink and become relatively less important, and the main stream 
dwindles away to a thread which winds its hurried way through the 
stony bed. This region is sparsely settled, but mining and lumbering, 
the chief industries, have concentrated the population in about 
twenty hamlets, situated on the railroad, which closely follows the 
river as it winds in and out among the mountains. 

NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER FROM WILSONIA TO GEORGES CREEK. 

Wilsonia, W. Va., was formerly the westernmost of these settle- 
ments and had a sawmill which supported a small population; now 
it is abandoned, and Henry, W. Va., the station next below it, is the 
first important place in the valley. A coal mine here discharges a 
considerable amount of mine water into a little stream to the west of 
Elk Run. This is the first important pollution which North Branch 
receives, and the amount is large as compared to the total volume of 
the river at this point. The houses set well back from the river and 
such pollution as is received from them is indirect. 

At Dobbin, W. Va., 2 miles below Henry, a dam is built across the 
river to furnish power for a sawmill, which is the life of the settle- 
ment. As the company uses the sawdust for fuel, it is disposed of 



214 THE POTOMAC EIVEB BASIN. 

without injury to the river. The houses of the operatives are on both 
sides of the river and most of them are at some distance from it, con- 
sequently only a few of the privies pollute the river directly. A primi- 
tive water supply is provided, the source being several springs in the 
neighborhood. The water is piped through the maia streets on the 
southern side of the river only. 

At Bayard, W. Va., 4 miles below Dobbin, is a tannery of the 
American Hide and Leather Company, employing 50 hands. The 
waste, which consists of leakage from the bark-liquor vats and water 
from the boiled fleshings, together with a little lime water, enters 
North Branch a short distance below Buffalo Creek. At the time of 
the last inspection lime sludge was piled dangerously near the edge of 
the river bank. At no time during these inspections have any large 
amounts of waste liquors been observed discharging from the tannery 
into the river, but the fact that the bed of the stream is stained a deep 
brown color would indicate either that such has been the case in 
former times or that it occurs now at infrequent intervals. It is said 
that recently, when the tops of the bark-liquor vats were shortened 
18 inches, a considerable pollution took place. There is no public 
water supply in Bayard, and the tannery takes its water from Buffalo 
Creek, which flows through the town and is somewhat polluted with 
mine water. The water from this stream is said to be less damaging 
to boilers than that of North Branch at this point. The pollution 
from privies in Bayard is mostly indirect, but there are a few danger- 
ously near Buffalo Creek. 

At Gormania, W. Va., 2 miles below Bayard, the A. G. Hoffman & 
Sons Company maintains a tannery, with 75 employees. The only 
wastes that enter the river directly are the weak lime liquor and that 
from the scouring machines. The company has built a settling pool 
at the edge of the stream near the factory and into it drain the heavy 
lime liquor, sewage from the employees' houses, and the small quan- 
tity of bark liquor that is wasted. The liquors from the pool seep 
slowly through the earth into North Branch, and as occasion requires 
the sludge at the bottom is removed to farms to be used as a fertilizer. 
This arrangement is a great improvement on the common practice of 
turning all tannery wastes directly into the river. The appearance 
of the river above the tannery is clear and it has some color, but more 
is acquired as it flows by the Hoffman tannery. As the current is 
somewhat slackened by a bend in the stream below the tannery the 
river has a tendency to deposit such material as it has in suspension. 
The water suppl}^ of the town consists of private cisterns, wells, and 
springs. Some of the privies in the town are too near the river and 
all of them furnish indirect pollution. On the whole, however, Gor- 
mania is an unusually clean town for this section of the country. 

Stoyer, Md., is the next town downstream. It has no public water 



STREAM pollution: NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 215 

supply and the vise of privies is universal. A coal mine on the heights 
above the town discharges its mine water into a run which enters 
North Branch at this point. 

Wallman, Md., owes its existence to a sawmill which is polluting 
the river with sawdust. To escape the Maryland authorities it 
dumps the sawdust within 10 feet of the West Virginia shore, and by 
this subterfuge works continuous injury to the stream without moles- 
tation. 

Opposite Hubbard, W. Va., is a coal mine, and a short distance 
above a sawmill, with a huge pile of sawdust not far from the river. 

At Harrison, W. Va., Abram Creek empties its waters, polluted by 
mine waste, into North Branch. On the Maryland side of the river, 
somewhat below the town, is Wolfden Run, which is likewise polluted 
by mine water. Below this run, . at the edge of the river, are 23 
privies, besides those belonging to the houses at intervals all the 
way to Blaine. 

Blaine is an unincorporated town situated on both the Maryland 
and West Virginia banks, 1 mile below Harrison. Here a woolen mill 
which employs 10 men turns into the river spent dyes and rinse water 
from the finished goods to the amount of 750 gallons a day, besides 
the sewage of its employees. The water supply at Blaine is from 
private wells and cisterns. The use of latrines is universal and some 
of them pollute the river and the race which supplies power to the 
woolen mill. Others are located upon low ground in the center of the 
town and are scoured out by the river in times of high freshets. The 
privies are not cleaned, but are moved to new trenches when it 
becomes necessary to fill the old vaults. Thus the indirect pollution 
of the river is considerable. 

Three Fork Run enters North Branch at Chaffee, W. Va., 4 miles 
below Blaine. This stream carries its quota of mine water and is 
likely to become more polluted in the future than it is now, because of 
the probable extension of mining in its valley. 

At Shaw, W. Va., 4 miles farther downstream, the river receives 
Deep Run, which is heavily polluted with mine Avater and with the 
wastes of Atlantic and Elk Garden, two mining towns high up among 
the hills far back from North Branch. Elk Garden is the more impor- 
tant of the two, having, in fact, a considerable population. Its water 
supply is from private wells and cisterns, and it has no sewerage, the 
use of privies being general. When these are cleaned, the soil is 
removed to the commons on a tributary of Deep Run and buried. 
Elk Garden has no sewers, but there is one drain for surface water 
only, which reaches North Branch by way of Deep Run. 

Savage River, whose watershed supports no mines and is given over 
to lumbering, joins North Branch near Bloomington. As its drainage 
area is practically uninhabited, the water is relatively pure and, being 



216 THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIK. 

of nearly equal volume to that of North Branch at this point, serves 
greatly to improve its character by diluting the impurities.*^ 

Between Bloomington and West Virginia Central Junction, North 
Branch receives a considerable amount of mine water. The town of 
West Virginia Central Junction contributes its share of indirect pollu- 
tion. The river passes over a dam here and with its fall changes its 
environment and character. Up to this point it is a turbulent moun- 
tain stream to whose immediate banks the population is confined. 
Back from the river the Maryland watershed is uninhabited save for a 
few isolated farm houses here and there, and the population supported 
on the upland drained by its West Virginia tributaries is scattered, 
except that in some places about the country stores a few homes 
are clustered. From this point on. North Branch becomes less wild 
and on its banks appear populous towns with varied industries and 
in some cases sewerage systems. The influences of nature are less 
manifest and the artificial conditions imposed by man are everywhere 
visible. 

A little below the dam the town of Luke, Md., has been built up by 
the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. Seven hundred men 
are employed in the factory, and the sewage which they create is 
turned straight into North Branch, as is also the waste from the fac- 
tory, which is the largest industrial plant in the whole Potomac basin. 
Soda pulp, mechanical wood pulp, and paper are made here, and enor- 
mous quantities of alum, soda bleach, and lime are used, besides 
kaolin, glue, size, and ultramarine blue. The discharge of the waste 
chemicals and the shreds of wood fiber radically alter the character of 
the river at this point. 

From Luke it is but a short distance to Westernport, Md., and Pied- 
mont, W. Va., two towns on opposite sides of the river, which have 
identical interests and form one community. Piedmont has a sewer- 
age system and pollutes North Branch both directly and indirectly.^ 
The town owns its water supply, which, by arrangement with the 
West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, is pumped from Savage 
River. Though the water undergoes no process of purification, it has 
so far been used with good results, being only slightly polluted, owing 
to the almost entire absence of population on the watershed from 
whence it is derived. Westernport for the last three years has bought 
its water from Piedmont. Its use is general in the town, for the wells 
along Georges Creek have been destroyed by infiltrating waters from 
the creek, so that the only wells in vise are those in the western part of 
town, which is higher than the other parts. The town has two sewers. 
One of them has 50 connections, runs parallel with the main street, 
and is 600 feet long and 30 inches in diameter. The other has 500 

"The results of measurements of Savage River at Bloomington are given on pp. 43-46. 

b The results of measurements of North Branch of Potomac River at Piedmont are given or. pp. 46-54. 



STBEAM pollution: GEOBGES GREEK, 217 

connections, is partly open, and is 500 feet long and 36 inches in 
diameter. Both discharge into Georges Creek near its mouth. Besides 
these a few private sewers empty into the creek and North Branch. 

GEORGES CREEE.a 

Georges Creek has its source on Big Savage Mountain, and drains 
the heart of the soft-coal region of Maryland. At its very head at 
New Shaft a large stream of mine water is constantly running, and 
thence all along its course accessions of mine water are received at 
short intervals, so that by the time Westernport is reached the waters 
are surcharged with mine drainage, and are lethal instead of life giving 
in character. They destroy all vegetable and animal life in the chan- 
nel, and stain the rocks on which they flow yellow with a deposit of 
iron hydrate. 

At the head of the creek on a liigh peak of Big Savage Mountain is 
the city of-Frostburg. It has a good public water supply from springs 
on the mountain, and the Frostburg Water Company furnishes an 
auxiliary supply derived from a well and springs. The city for the 
last three years has had about 15 cases of typhoid fever each year. 
Some of the cases are of outside origin. There is no sewerage system 
in Frostburg nor is there need of any, for the coal mines beneath the 
town drain all the cesspools and care for some of the surface water as 
well. 

Below Frostburg are Borden Shaft, Ocean, and Midland, all mining 
communities in which crude sanitary conditions exist. 

Lonaconing, about midway between Frostburg and Westernport, 
is also a mining town. It has developed a public water supply on 
Jackson Run for a reservoir fed by two luountain streams upon whose 
watersheds but two or three families live. The water is at present deliv- 
ered to 523 families, but the available supply is 5,000,000 gallons a day. 
The fact that but nine cases of typhoid appeared in the city during 
eleven months of 1904 points to the comparative purity of the water. 
The death rate in the town is about 10 per thousand and is said to be 
augmented by the high birth rate, for the local statistics seem to show 
that a large number of children die before reaching 5 years of age. 
There are some sewers which serve a few houses, stores, and hotels 
and which empty into Georges Creek, as do the many privies that 
directly overhang it. Besides these, four shambles exist, one of 
which is far from the town, and buries its offal. The three others are 
in the middle of the town and are used by six butchers, who throw 
much of the offal into the creek, though some of it is fed to hogs. 
There is one steam laundry which drains into Koontz Run. 

t The results of stream measure Tieuts of Georges Creek at Westernport are-given on pp. 55-57. 



218 THE POTOMAC KIVEB BASIN. 

NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER FROM GEORGES CREEK TO WILLS CREEK. 

At Westernport North Branch turns and flows in a southeasterly 
direction across the foothills of New Creek Mountain until it reaches 
Keyser. At this place the most obvious contamination is from the 
mill of the Patchett Worsted Company, which scours 1,800 pounds of 
wool a day and uses 100 pounds of aniline dyes a week. The wastes 
are turned directly into the river. This company has had some 
trouble with its water supply. The Potomac water, it is claimed, 
makes the wool which is washed in it harsh, while the waters of New 
Creek stain the wool badly. 

On New Creek, 6 miles above Keyser, a plant of the United States 
Leather Company is located. Above this plant the water is colorless, 
or nearly so, while below the place where the tannery discharges 
liquors the stream becomes red or almost black. Though the color is 
reduced in the course of flow to the river, the water is still tawny at 
the creek's mouth. The tannery employs 99 men. In the summer of 
1904 there was an outbreak of typhoid among them, due, it is thought, 
to contaminated springs and wells in the neighborhood. New Creek 
is polluted by sewage also, for while the use of privies is common in 
Keyser a part of the town is pretty thoroughly sewered, and the sewer 
empties into the creek, as does that of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
road shop, with 300 employees. The latter connection is indirect, 
reaching the creek through Longs Gut. Typhoid fever is said to be 
rare in Keyser, b}^ reason of the purity of the water supply in general 
use. The source is a mountain spring 4 miles east of the town. The 
reservoir has a capacity of 6,750,000 gallons and afl^ords a pressure of 
160 pounds per square inch in the lowest part of the town. 

WILLS GREEK AND CUMBERLAND, o 

At Keyser the Potomac resumes its northeasterly course and flows 
between Dans Mountain on the north and Knobly Mountain on the 
south to Cumberland, where it receives the waters of Wills Creek. 
The drainage area of this creek must be carefxilly studied in order to 
understand sanitary conditions in Cumberland. 

Wills Creek rises on the western slope of Savage Mountain, Penn- 
sylvania, and runs northwestward to Mance, where it turns and flows 
eastward to Hyndman. The population on its entire watershed 
above Hyndman is not more than 1,000, and not many of the small 
villages need especial notice. 

Foley is a railroad station, with a few houses huddled about it. 
Most of these are provided with privies that pollute the creek, which 
runs on to Fairhope, where there is a brick factory, and where the 
stream is further contaminated by overhanging latrines. Identical 

a The results of measurements of Wills Creek and North Branch of Potomac River at Cumberland 
are given on pp. 58-64, 



STREAM POLLUTION : WILLS CREEK. 219 

conditions exist at Williams, the next town below, and at Hoblitzell, 
a small agricultural community, a few more houses add their filth to 
the water course. 

Hyndman is the largest town on Wills Creek. Its public water sup- 
ply comes from a spring on the west side of Wills Mountain, 1^ miles 
from town, and its purity is evidenced by the fact that there is rarely 
any typhoid fever in the place. There is one sewer, about a quarter of 
a mile in length, which takes slops from the houses on the line and soil 
from a few of them and from the bank and hotels. The rest of the 
inhabitants use privy vaults, which seem to be well cared for by the 
local board of health. The tannery of the Elk Tanning Company, 
which emploj^s 55 men and makes oak-tanned sole leather, on the 
eastern bank of Wills Creek, when first visited poured all its wastes 
directly into the creek. Since then conditions have been bettered, 
for the company has constructed at the edge of the stream near the 
plant a settling pool with a capacity of 5,500 cubic feet, and all wastes 
are turned into it. At the time it was inspected it was full and over- 
flo-wing a little, and it was observed that a sluice with a gate had been 
provided by which direct communication with the creek could be 
established in case the capacity of the pool was overtaxed. In spite 
of these defects the new arrangement is commendable, and has done a 
great deal toward clearing up the waters of the stream. A privy 
which is used by the employees overhangs the creek and a water 
closet in the office of the company is also connected with it. The 
capacity of the plant is 105 hides a day, and the total wastes are esti- 
mated at 2,000 gallons a day. 

Some distance below Hyndman is Ellerslie, where there is a planing 
mill and a pumping station of the Standard Oil Company. At Cor- 
riganville Jennings Run joins the creek. This stream heads at Frost- 
burg, and both near that town and at other places in its narrow valley- 
receives large quantities of mine water. At Mount Savage it is 
joined by Mount Savage Run, which is polluted by many overhanging 
privies, and upstream by the acid waters of a fire-clay mine. Mount 
Savage is located on the steep slopes of high hills, so that the run-off 
through the town is very quick, and in times of heavy rains a great 
deal of the refuse of the town is washed into Jennings Run or its 
tributary, Mount Savage Run. At Barrelville a small tributary 
enters Jennings Run from Wellersburg, and that too is contaminated 
by mine water from tiie coal mines which are being opened up in its 
valley; but from Barrelville to its mouth the run is befouled but little 
more. 

Below CorriganviUe there is no notable pollution until Braddock 

Run is reached. This stream heads at Eckhart Mines, a thriving 

mining town that is supplied with water by the Frostburg Water 

Company. Privies and domestic wastes defile the run^ but it is free 

lER 192—07 15 



220 THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN. 

from mine water, o\ving to the fact that the waters of the muies 
beneath the tovm are pumped into Georges Creek near Borden Shaft. 
The completion near Clar^^sville of a tunnel, now far advanced in • 
construction, 11,000 feet long and 7 by 8 feet in cross section, will 
divert the drainage of the Eckhart and Hoffman mines from Georges 
Creek to Braddock Run, into which it was formerly pumped. The 
effects of the consummation of this project ^"ill be far-reaching. 
Braddock Run, whose waters are now comparatively soft and suitable 
for boiler purposes, %\dll be converted into a stream Avith the charac- 
teristics of Georges Creek at the present time, while the water of 
Georges Creek will become less acid and so less potent in its effect on 
the luny waters of North Branch at Westernport. Moreover, "\\dth 
the reduction of its acidity the Georges Creek water is likely to become 
less noxious to bacteria, so that the sanitary conditions which prevail 
along the creek will be vastly m.ore important than thej^ now are to 
the towns below it, notably to the city of Cumberland, whose water- 
works intake is at Ridgely, on North Branch, one-half mile above 
Wills Creek. The Cumberland water now receives l,he benefit of the 
clarification and germicidal action which the imited waters of Georges 
Creek and North Branch accomplish about 30 miles above it, and 
should this action become less effectual it is conceivable that Cum- 
berland might find its water supply less pure than it is now. The 
acid waters of Braddock Run after this change is made effective will 
increase the aciditj" of Wills Creek, and that in turn will work its 
effect below. At present Braddock Run flows from Eckhart Mines to 
Allegany Grove, a camping and picnic resort where many large privies 
poUute it badly. Somewhat below Allegany Grove is the plant of 
the James Clark Distilling Company, whose wastes, consisting of slops 
from the distilled grains, are conducted through a 10-inch terra-cotta 
pipe along the sides of the run to the Narrows, where they are dis- 
charged into Wills Creek. The concern mashes 300 bushels of grain 
a day, but the amount of waste disgorged into Wills Creek is prob- 
lematical, as a farmer below the distillery taps the pipe Ime and with- 
draws what he needs for his cattle, wliile another one hauls away 
enough to supply a herd of forty. The fact that the distiller}^ is 
closed do^\^^L in summer is undoubted^ of benefit, for the waste, 
which is putrescible, is thus usually discharged only in tiuies of com- 
paratively high water, which tends to dilute it. Moreover, at summer 
temperatures a local nuisance would be created about the Narrows 
by rapid decomposition of the distillery slops, whereas under present 
conditions, at the lower temperatures of autunui and winter, decom- 
position is more gradual, as it takes place at a comparatively slow 
rate and over a considerable distance. 

Below the Narrows of Wills Creek is a tanner}^ of the United States 
Leather Company, where the course of the stream varies with its 



STREAM POLLUTION AT .CUMBERLAND. 221 

stage. In times of low water practically the entire stream is diverted 
by the dam at the tannery into the Beal mill race, which flows through 
the most populous part of Cumberland into the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Canal. When the creek is high, so much of its waters as do not go 
through the race continue over the dam and flow through the busi- 
ness section of Cumberland to the head of the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Canal, into which, when the gates are open, some of the water goes, 
while the rest joins North Branch. At a point a little below the 
confluence Dam No. 7 has been built. Its purpose, like that of the 
other dams on the Potomac, is to hold back the waters of the river 
and make them available for feeding the canal; its effect is to check 
the current of WiUs Creek and to create slack water for 3 miles up 
North Branch. It can be easily understood that in times of drought, 
when no water passes over the dam at the tannery on WiUs Creek 
and none over Dam No. 7, there is formed a bow-shaped pool of 
practicaUy stagnant water, one arm of which extends from the Wills 
Creek dam to North Branch and the other from Dam No. 7 up North 
Branch for 3 miles. The river arm is but little polluted, while the 
creek arm throughout its length of a mile through the center of Cum- 
berland is very much so. Into it slaughter barns, privies, steam 
laundries, breweries, and some of the sewers of the city discharge, 
producing a thoroughly regrettable condition of affairs. In time of 
high water this corruption is carried into the canal or river, but 
whenever there is a drought it lies festering in the midst of the city. 
Cumberland is the largest city on the Potomac watershed above 
Washington. It is a vigorous, growing place, but its rapid increase in 
population has outstripped its development in sanitary matters. The 
water of the city is not free from contamination. As private wells 
are commonly polluted, most of them have been closed up. Cisterns 
are used to some extent, but the city supply is generally relied on by 
the citizens. It is pumped directly out of North Branch opposite 
Ridgely, Imile above Wflls Creek, and is consumed without purifica- 
tion of any kind. This would probably be more disastrous than it 
now is were it not for the beneficial purification which, as explained 
elsewhere, takes place about 30 miles above the city. There is no 
system of sewage purification, though there is a sewerage system 
which serves about 75 per cent of the city. Soil, slops, and some 
surface drainage are taken by the sewers, though about 95 per cent 
of the system carries no storm water, as most of the surface drainage 
goes directly to the race, canal, creek, and river. Six of the city 
sewers discharge into the race; two of these are 36 inches in diame- 
ter, one 12 inches, one 10, one 8, and one 6. Besides these the race 
receives the droppings from many overhanging privies and is polluted 
by many private sewers. The dye works of Thomas Footer & Son 
discharge wastes consisting of rinse water and spent dyes, estimated 



222 THE POTOMAC KIVEH BASIN. 

at 10,000 gallons a day, into the race, together with the sewage of its 
310 employees. Moreover, the race is somewhat obstructed by ashes 
which are thrown into it. Besides .the sewers discharging into the 
race, the following empty into the river: One 24-inch sewer, whose 
full capacity is probably never required, entering at Valley street; 
one 6-inch private sewer for sewage only, entering at a point about 
opposite the Town Hall; one 12-inch city sewer, and the 8 or 12 inch 
sewer owned hj Allegany County. In South Cumberland a sewer 
empties into a brook that flows into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 
near the Queen City glass factory. In winter, when the canal is 
drained off, the stream and sewage flow over the canal banks directly 
into North Branch. About 5 per cent of the houses in South Cum- 
berland are connected to this sewer. 

Many people along Wills Creek fiiid it to their advantage to sewer 
direct!}^ into it. Above the Market Street Bridge the United States 
Leather Company, which employs 100 men, discharges its tannery 
wastes, amounting to 10,000 gallons in twenty-four hours, together 
with the sewage of its employees, into the creek. Below this tannery 
the Cumberland Brewing Company, employing 50 men, empties the 
wa'shmgs from its barrels and sewage from its employees. At the 
Market Street Bridge, on the west bank, the German Brewing Com- 
pany pours out the washings from its barrels, amounting to 1,500 
gallons per dnj, together with the sewage of its 35 employees. On 
the opposite bank a gas company lets some of its waste liquors escape. 
From this point down, on the eastern side of Wills Creek, there is a 
succession of overhanging privies, interspersed by the sewers of two 
steam laundries and by a few slaughterhouses, whose floors drain the 
blood of the animals and with it a small amount of offal into the 
creek (PL VIII, A). 

Tliroughout the southwest part of that section of Cumberland lying 
west of Wills Creek flows a small run that is undoubtedly the recipient 
of much promiscuous refuse, which it empties into North Branch 
about one-fourth of a mile below the watervforks intake at Ridgeley. 
Whether this imperils the city water supply or not can not be stated, 
but the possibility of its doing so should be borne in mind. 

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal receives most of the irregular 
pollution of South Cumberland. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 
shops, employing 600 men, sewer into it, and so does the N. & G. 
Taylor Company, a concern which employs 300 men and which makes 
steel and rolls it for manufacture into tin plate. In the process of 
manufacture large quantities of sulphate of iron are used, and this 
when pretty well exhausted finds its way into the canal. 

There are many other industries in Cumberland, but none of them 
have liquid wastes. That other manufacturers will come to the city 
is more than likely, for Cumberland is advantageously situated and 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 192 PL. VIII 




A. WILLS CREEK FROM MARKET STREET BRIDGE, CUMBERLAND, MD. 




Jl. POLLUTION OF POTOMAC RIVER BY WASTES FROM THE MECHANICAL WOOD-PULP 
MILL AT HARPERS FERRY. 



STREAM POLLUTION : SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 223 

seems destined to enjoy much greater prosperity. This, however, 
will be still further increased by bettering the conditions above de- 
scribed. The city should adopt some method of disposing of its 
wastes wliich will relieve the river of doing so, and its water supply 
should be placed above criticism. 

NORTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER BELOW WILLS CREEK. 

Below Cumberland North Branch enters the Greater Valley of the 
AppaL chian Plateau in that part loiown as the Allegheny Ridges, 
from the fact that mountains trending northeast and southwest cross 
it at frequent intervals. In the valleys between these ridges flow 
many streams, and the most prominent of these will be taken up in 
the order in which they empty into North Branch. 

Evitts Creek, which drains the thinly settled country between 
Shriver Ridge and Evitts Mountain, enters North Branch from the 
north a short distance below South Cumberland, where its water is 
used for boiler purposes in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad round- 
house. At one time it was advocated as a source of public water 
supply for Cumberland, but was rejected partly because of the 
prevalence of typhoid in its drainage area. Patterson Creek, the 
next important tributary, comes in from the south at Patterson 
Depot. Burlington, with a population of 250, is the largest town in 
the Patterson Creek Valley; its inhabitants gain their livelihood 
by farming and logging. From Patterson Depot North Branch flows 
on to a point 2 miles east of Greenspring and then loses its identity, 
being joined by South Branch of the Potomac to form the main 
stream, whose conditions will be described after taking up South 
Branch. 

POLLUTION IN SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC RIVER BASIN, a 

South Branch of the Potomac rises in Highland County, Va., at 
Hightown, on the divide separating the headwaters of James and 
Potomac rivers. The stream flows northeastward to a point 6 miles 
west of Petersburg, W. Va., where it receives North Fork of South 
Branch, which is formed at the north end of Middle Mountain by the 
confluence of Laurel Fork with Straight Fork and flows northeast- 
ward to its junction with South Branch. The stream continues in a 
northeasterly direction to Moorefield, where it receives the waters of 
Moorefield River, a stream that flows in a northeasterly course from 
its source on Shaw Ridge north of Palo Alto, Highland County, Va., 
near the head of Cow Pasture River, a tributary of the James. The 
entire country drained by South Branch of the Potomac is very 
rugged. Several of the mountains rise to the height of 3,000 feet 

a The results of stream measurements on South Branch of Potomac River at Springfielcl, W. Va., 
are given on pp. 66-77. 



224 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

and. there are many less lofty peaks. The watershed is much cut up 
by the multitude of creeks and runs that are tributary to the main 
stream, and these waters fall precipitously into the river from the 
mountains, making it rise and fall suddenly. In spring the melting 
of the snow produces very high water, which recedes quickly. 

South Bi'anch from its source to a point 6 miles west of Petersburg 
flows between North Fork and South Fork mountains, and lies between 
North Fork of South Branch and Moorefield River, both of which are 
parallel to it, all three streams flowing in a northeasterly direction. 
North Fork Valley has been eroded between Spruce and North Fork 
mountains. Its population of woodsmen and mountaineers is very 
sparse, so that the stream may be dismissed with the statement that 
it reaches South Branch almost unsullied. Moorefield River has cut 
its valley between Shenandoah and South Fork mountains; the 
region is unsettled and, like North Fork, the stream is but little pol- 
luted. The only source of contamination is a tanning-extract factory 
located in Brandy wine, Pendleton County, W. Va., a place where it is 
said there has been much typhoid. When this plant was started the 
stream was discolored greatly by the leakage from the vats where the 
chestnut-oak wood was steeped. At the present time this leakage is 
insignificant and such coloring matter as enters the stream comes 
from the condenser water, which absorbs some of the abstract in the 
process of manufacture. 

South Branch itself in its upmost reaches is polluted only by the 
wastes at Monterey, Highland County, Va., and by those of a few 
scattered settlements. At Franklin, however, where the stream has 
attained considerable size, the pollution is important. This town has 
a water supply from springs on Entry Mountain, but about one- third 
of the people use wells. The sewage must reach the river very indi- 
rectly, for the houses are a long way from the river bank and there is 
no public sewerage. One or two private sewers lead from the main 
streets of the town to the bottoms, but most of the people use privies, 
and the soil removed from these, when they are cleaned, is deposited in 
boxes near the river, which are scoured out by occasional floods. So 
far as information goes typhoid is rare in Franklin, though once in a 
while a case comes into town from the outside. The most extensive 
pollution of the river here is accomplished by the Franklin Tannery 
Company, whose wastes amount to practically 10,000 gallons a day. 
The factory is located in the southwestern part of the town, and its 
effluents are carried 1,100 feet through a 6-inch terra-cotta cement- 
jointed pipe line to a settling pool 83 yards from the river. Here the 
solid matters sediment out, and the liquids usually filter slowly 
through the ground to the river. In times of laigh water the earth 
becomes saturated, causing the pool to discharge at its south end 



STREAM POLLUTION : SOUTH BRANCH OF POTOMAC. 225 

directly into the stream, while in times of flood the entire settling 
basin is invaded by the river. This is considered imavoidable by the 
tannery company, because in its opinion the best available place has 
been utilized for the disposal of the waste. The company claims that 
"this refuse, which must ultimately go into the river, is best discharged 
at such times, for in the huge volume of water that rushes downstream 
it is hardly noticed and presumably does comparatively little harm. 

The country between Franklin and Petersburg is given over to 
grazing and farming and is very beautiful. The pollution received 
by the river in this interval is very small and is such as comes from 
scattered farmhouses and the domestic animals about them. At 
Upper Tract there is a country store and something of a settlement. 
Petersburg is a small town at which there is a tannery of the United 
States Leather Company that employs 30 hands. The wastes from 
this plant amount to 3,000 gallons daily and are discharged into 
Limice Creek very near the point where it enters South Branch. At 
the time of inspection South Branch was in flood, so that the effects 
of the tannery wastes were not discernible, but it is entirely probable 
that in low water they discolor the stream, for there is no attempt to 
purify them. Petersburg has neither public water supply nor sewer- 
age, and the only receptacles for soil are privies. The next town 
below Petersburg is Moorefield, which takes its water from Moorefield 
River, a short distance above the tannery dam on that stream. The 
daily consumption is 36,000 gallons. Besides this, nearly every house 
has its well, and these are locally supposed to furnish water of good 
quality. There are no sewers, but there are one or two drains for 
surface water. The tannery at Moorefield at the time of the inspec- 
tion was owned by the Cover & Drayton Company, but has now 
passed into the hands of the United States Leather Company. It is 
situated well back from the bank of Moorefield River, about 2 miles 
from the center of the town. The plant has a capacitj^ of 50 hides a 
day, and its wastes, which amount to 10,000 gallons a day, are carried 
to a settling pool near the edge of Moorefield River. This pool is 
believed to be large enough to take care of the tannery wastes at all 
times, but in case it is not the liquors will be discharged directly into 
the stream. Like the settling pool of the tannery at Franklin this 
one is flushed out by floods. 

At Old Field, a short distance below Moorefield, South Branch flows 
between Mill Creek Mountain and South Branch Mountain in a pre- 
cipitous valley locally known as the Trough, while the highway turns 
around the southwest end of Mill Creek Mountain and follows the 
valley of Mill Creek to Romney, passing on the way the settlements of 
Purgitsville and Moorefield Junction. The inhabitants of these places 
are farmers and the population is very small. 



226 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Romney is situated on a high hill well back from South Branch, 
where it emerges from the Trough. It has a public water suppl_y 
from springs, but no public sewerage. The Stata asylum for the deaf 
and blind located here has a private sewer that disch^arges into Big 
Rim, and this rivulet carries the sewage into South Branch one-half 
mile below the town limits. From Roixuiey to its mouth the valley 
of South Branch is peopled by farmers and there is no further impor- 
tant pollution. 

The waters of this large stream are remarkably pure and should be 
protected from contamination. Its beautifid valley, ^Ndth its rugged 
mountains, interesting streams, and fair intervales, so near the popu- 
lous cities of the seacoast, is likely to yield a richer return as a wisely 
developed region of summer resorts than under exploitation by 
industrial interests. 

POLLUTION IN POTOMAC RIVER BASIN BETWEEN MOUTH OF 
SOUTH BRANCH AND SHENANDOAH RIVER. 

POTOMAC RIVER FROM MOUTH OF SOUTH BRANCH TO PAWPAW.a 

The first important stream entering Potomac River below the con- 
fluence of North and South branches is Little Cacapon River, a south- 
ern tributar}". A few miles below this stream is Pawpaw, W. Va., a 
small town at which there is a tannery that employs 140 men. The 
tannery wastes amount to 15,000 gallons a day. Part of them are 
sedimented near the river's edge, but the rest are discharged directly 
into the river and markedly discolor it. 

From Pawpaw the river takes a meandering course between Town 
Hill and Sideling Hill. At the hamlet of Little Orleans Fifteenmile 
Creek enters from the north, and 4 miles farther do\\Tistream is the 
mouth of Sideling Hill Creek. The Potomac then cuts across Sideling 
Hill and Tonoloway Ridge, on the eastern side of which lies the village 
of Great Cacapon. 

3BEAT CACAPON RIVER. 

A short distance east of Great Cacapon is the mouth of Great 
Cacapon River, which is formed at Forks of Capon by the junction 
of North River and Cacapon River. 

North River rises in South Branch Mountain, Hardy County, 
W. Va. Two tanning-extract factories are located in this stream, one at 
Inkerman and the other at Rio. Cacapon River, or Lost River, as it 
is known above Wardensville, on account of its sinking beneath its 
bed for a short distance, rises in North Mountain, Hard}'^ County, 
W. Va. There are two tanneries in its basin, one at Lost Citj^ and the 
other at Capon Bridge. Each emploj^s 25 men and turns out 50 hides 
a day. The wastes are said to be sedimented before being turned 
int^o the river. 

a Results o( mpasurements of Potomac River at Great Cacapon are given on p. 78. 



STREAM POLLUTION : GREAT OACAPON RIVER. 227 

Great Cacapon River is less than 75 miles long. For a considerable 
distance above its mouth it is about 150 feet wide. It is made up of 
a succession of rapids and pools. In some of the pools the water is 
deep, but the rapids are shallow. In ordinary stages the river is ford- 
able at almost any place except in the pools. The lower part of the 
river has a considerable fall per mile and is full of large rocks and 
bowlders. 

POTOMAC RIVER TROM GREAT CACAPON RPTER TO CONOCOCHEAGTTE CREEK. 

. The next important tributary below the Great Cacapon is Warm. 
Spring Run, wliich enters the Potomac from the south at Brosius. 
This stream is polluted b}^ sewage from the town of Berkeley Springs, 
which is 6 miles from the Potomac and which owes its existence to 
thermal springs that supply the community with water and are held 
in high esteem. The hotels and leading houses are served by a sewer 
wliich discharges into the run about one-half mile north of the town. 
Opposite Brosius is Hancock, one of the oldest towns in Maryland. 
It is a small place without factories, and as it is located well back 
from the river the trivial refuse that is created there must reach the 
stream either very indirectly or by the two runs which flow along the 
extreme east and west ends of the town. The pollution at Hancock 
may become more important in the future if the stimulus recently 
received from the advent of the Wabash Railroad is sufficient to 
develop steady growth. From Hancock the Potomac continues its 
way eastward. From the north, a little east of Hancock, it receives 
Great Tonoloway Creek; from the south, a considerable distance far- 
ther on. Sleepy Creek; and beji-ond that, from the north. Licking 
Creek, a stream which rises in Bedford County, Pa., and receives the 
indirect pollution of IVIcConnellsburg, a sizable country town, where 
there is a tanner}^ having a capacity of about a hide a day. A few 
miles below Licking Creek, Back Creek joins the river from the south. 
Above Dam No. 5 the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal enters the Potomac 
and becomes one with it for miles, not resuming its separate course 
until it reaches Dam No. 5, 7 miles above Williamsport, Md., where 
Conococheague Creek enters the river. 

CONOCOCHEAGTJE CREEK. 

Conococheague Creek has intrenched itself in the eastern edge of 
Cumberland Valley and drains a well-populated, prosperous region. 
The stream rises in South Mountain, Adams County, Pa., and flows in 
a westerly direction by many villages. At Scotland there is a large 
industrial school, which disposes of its sewage by the Waring system, 
a matter of importance to Chambersburg, the city next below it. 
The water supply of this flourishing city is pumped from Conoco- 
cheague Creek at a point 2 miles upstream and is delivered without 
purification to the citizens, nearly all of whom are dependent on it, 



228 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

for the well water is too hard to be used satisfactorily in boilers and 
is commonly so polluted that the wells have fallen into disuse. Cham- 
bersburg has no public sewerage system, probably because the seams 
of the much fractured limestone on which the city is built act as con- 
duits for the sewage of the cesspools that are as a matter of course 
provided for every house and carry it away, presumably to the creek. 
There are two private 10-inch sewers, to one of which are connected 
three hotels and fifteen private dwellings and to the other a hotel, the 
trust company, and the court-house. There is also a private 8-inch 
sewer which is used by 25 families and another for the 300 employees 
of the Wolf Company. All these sewers empty into Conococheague 
Creek, which is further corrupted b}^ a part of the sewage of the Wil- 
son C.ollege for Girls, an institution having 400 students, by the wash- 
ings of a creamery and of a beer-bottling establishment, by the spent 
lye of J. G. Gerbig & Sons' soap factory, by the residues of the Cham- 
bersburg Gas Company, and by the spent dyes of a small dyehouse 
which maintains its own connection to the creek. Moreover, three 
slaughterhouses utilize the stream for the disposal of their offal. Its 
tributary. Falling Spring Run, increases the pollution, for to this little 
stream are connected the urinals of the Cumberland Valley Railroad 
shops, wliich are used by 230 men, and the five water-closets of its 
main office builchng, where there are 50 employes. The run is also 
the recipient of the sewage of the 90 hands of the Chambersburg Shoe 
Company. The Chambersburg Woolen Company voids into it the 
sewage of the 95 employees, together with wastes consisting of spent 
dyes and rinse water from the finished goods; and, finally, a steam 
laundry adds its affluent. From Chambersburg Conococheague Creek 
runs southwestward for 15 miles to the point where it receives the 
waters of Back Creek, a stream on which is located Williamson, a 
small town, where a large dairy and butter factory pollutes the water. 

Four miles below its confluence with Back Creek, Conococheague 
Creek is joined by Moss Bank Run. This little stream probably 
receives practically all of the sewage which leaks away from the cess- 
pools in the limestone that underlies the city of Greencastle. The run 
at the eastern edge of the city receives the washwater and dyes of a 
little woolen mill and then disappears below ground, apparently to 
reappear on the western side of the city, from which point it flows 
eastward 1 mile to Conococheague Creek. Greencastle is supplied 
with water by the Greencastle Water Company from Eshleman and 
Spangler springs, 2 miles east of the city. It is a gravity supply and 
was put in at a cost of $30,000. 

From Moss Bank Run Conococheague Creek flows southward for 5 
miles, and then receives the waters of its West Branch, which rises on 
the divide between Cumberland and Franklin counties and flows 
southward until it reaches the main stream. The first contamination 



STREAM POLLUTION : CONOCOCHEAGUE CREEK. 229 

of West Brancli is received a short distance above Mercersburg Junc- 
tion, where the waters of Trout Run come in. This stream heads in 
Cove Mountain a httle to the west of Foltz, in Cove Gap, and passes 
tlirough the hog yard of a small distillery. The animals are fed on the 
slops, and while they doubtless dispose of most of it probably a part 
escapes, and with the excrement of the swine contaminates the stream. 

From Mercersburg Junction, West Branch continues to a point 
about 2 miles east of Mercersburg. This city has a public water sup- 
ply derived from Trout Run, before mentioned, at a point above 
the distillery known as Buchanan's birthplace, where there is a dam 
across the run, the slackened waters being piped to an equalizing 
reservoir and thence to the city. The supply is probably very satis- 
tory, because the waters are tapped in the Pennsylvania Forest 
Reserve, which insures their freedom from contamination. The 
water is used generally in the city, but is supplemented by six public 
wells, which are on the main street. The sewerage system consists 
of two sewers, one a 6-inch pipe 2,500 feet long, laid through the 
main street, and the other an 8-inch pipe 800 feet long, known as 
the Church street sewer. Besides these, Mercersburg College, which 
has 300 students, has a private sewer. All this sewage, together 
with the effluent of the tannery, is discharged into a little rivulet 
known locally as Dickeys Run, heading .back of the town. When 
inspected at the point where it crosses the main street this run was 
simply a brooklet of blood owing to the discharge of a slaughterhouse 
nearby. Below the slaughterhouses is located the tannery of W. D. 
Bryon & Sons. The capacity of the plant at present is 75 hides a 
day, but it is being increased. The wastes now amount to 2,500 
gallons a day, and by agreement with the property owners below 
are discharged only at night. The length of the run to West Branch 
is 2 miles. Near its mouth, at the time of inspection, it did not 
show evidence of the gross pollution which it receives, though as 
it was inspected in daytime the tannery effluent was not a factor. 

West Branch joins Conococheague Creek 10 miles below Dickeys 
Run, and from the confluence the creek continues without conspicu- 
ous pollution to Williamsport, Md., where it joins the Potomac. 
This town was at one time visited by General Washington to deter- 
mine its advantages as the future capital of the United States. At 
present it is a large, beautifully located village without a public 
water supply and without sewerage, though authority to construct 
the former was given at the last session of the legislature. There 
is a little manufacturing done, but the industries do not create 
liquid wastes, with the single exception of the tannery of W. D. Bryon 
& Sons. This firm employs 250 men, and its wastes, amounting to 
16,000 gallons a day, are discharged into Conococheague Creek but 
a short distance above its mouth. 



230 THE POTOMAC BTVER BASIN. 



OPEQUON CREEK. 



Opequon Creek rises east of Stephens City, Frederick County, 
Va., and flows northeastward, emptjnng into the Potomac River 2J 
miles east of Martinsburg, W. Va. In general its course is straight/ 
but from Middleway to Martinsburg it is somewhat meandering. 
Although this stream is small, and through most of its course flows 
in a farming region in which it receives but little pollution and that 
mostly indirect and derived from enriched land, domestic animals, 
and a score of scattered hamlets, yet from the sanitary standpoint it 
is important because of the nature and amount of sewage received 
at three different places. 

Winchester, the county seat of Frederick County, Va., is situated 
on Abrams Creek, 5 miles from Opequon Creek. It has a public 
water supply which consists of what are known as the old and the 
new waterworks. The old works date from colonial times and 
derive water from a spring three-fourths of a mile west of the court- 
house; the new works, installed in 1894 at a cost of $55,000, are 
supplied from a spring three-fourths of a mile southwest of the court- 
house and afford 2,500,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. There 
is no sewerage system and the use of cesspools and privy vaults is 
universal; they care for themselves by draining away through the 
crevices of the limestone. .Probably much of the pollution ulti- 
mately enters Town Run, which passes through the center of the 
town and joins Abrams Creek. Besides the indirect contamination, 
Town Run receives waste from a steam laundry and gas house; the 
latter makes the run foul and ill smelling. . Near the gas house. W 
Graichen's tannery discharges its effluent, made up of lime, sour- 
bark liquor, and water from wool scourings, all of which amount 
to 200 gallons a day; the Winchester creamery contributes the wash- 
ings of its floors, vats, and cans ; the Lewis Jones Knitting Company 
adds spent dyes and run-down lime bleach; and the Virginia Woolen 
Company discharges its waste, consisting of 1,000 gallons a day of 
scouring liquors and spent djes. This unsavory burden is deliv- 
ered by Town Run to Abrams Creek on the southeastern outskirts 
of Winchester. West of Winchester, nearly 3 miles above the mouth 
of Town Run, Abrams Creek receives the waste of the American 
Strawboard Company's factory, which makes paper board from 
old newspapers. The effluent is dirty water full of shreds of paper 
and is run into a settling pool from which it flows into Abrams Creek. 
The sediment is occasionally taken out of the pool by farmers for 
use as a fertilizer. A. C. Williamson & Brothers, manufacturers of 
woolen goods for public institutions, pour the rinse from their manu- 
factured goods and some spent dyes into the creek, after which it 
flows 7 miles to Opequon Creek without further industrial pollution 
other than that delivered by Town Run, as already mentioned. 



• STREAM POLLUTION : OPEQUON CREEK. 231 

Two miles below the mouth of Abrams Creek, Opequon Creek 
receives Lick Run, which, at Jordan Springs, is polluted from June 
to September by the sewage of a summer hotel and its cottages, 
planned to accommodate 300 guests. 

Martinsburg, W. Va., is on Tuscarora Creek, 1 mile from Ope- 
quon Creek." In past years the city suffered seriousl}^ from typhoid, 
but the citizens finally delivered themselves from the scourge by 
closing up the wells and abandoning the old water supply, both of 
which were considered to be polluted. A new and satisfactory 
water supply from Kilmer Spring, 1 mile west of the city, was installed 
in 1903, at a cost of $30,000. There is no sewerage other than four 
drains, aggregating 2,000 feet in length; these are for surface water 
only; which they discharge into a tributary of Tuscarora Creek. 
About 5 per cent, of the houses have water-closets, and these empty 
into cesspools; the rest of the people are dependent on privies. 
Both cesspools and privies are well looked after, owing to the city's 
experience with typhoid, but they undoubtedly furnish Tuscarora 
Creek with considerable indirect pollution. Only one privy, that of 
the electric-light company, was noticed to overhang the creek directly. 

Tuscarora Creek is greatly polluted by industrial wastes. The 
first and most noticeable of these is that of the Hannis Distilling 
Company, amounting to 8,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. Inas- 
much as it consists of slops from the mash, which is a good cattle 
feed, much thought has been spent by the company in devising 
means to separate the solid portion from the liquid in which it is sus- 
pended. By means of a somewhat elaborate system of settling and 
filtering, all but the finest impalpable material is saved and put on the 
market. The part that is discharged into the creek is fuiely subdi- 
vided matter in suspension in weakly acid liquor, and has defied every 
device of the company to recover it. Once in the stream it collects 
in long undulating, streamers, which adhere to the banks and bottom, 
giving the creek an unsightly appearance. As this effluent is undoubt- 
edly good food for algae and bacteria, it favors their dcA^elopment. 

A considerable distance from the Hannis distiller}^, at the south end 
of the city, the gas company discharges ammoniacal liquors into the 
stream. Opposite the gas works a little run enters which carries most 
of the manufacturing effluents received by Tuscarora Creek. The 
Kilbourn Knitting Machine Company's waste amounts to 10,000 gal- 
lons a day, and consists of wool scourings, spent dyes, and rinse waters 
from the manufactured goods. These liquors are run into a sediment- 
ing pool, whence they overflow into the run. The solid matter is 
pumped out from time to time and allowed to stand in the vicinity of 
the pool. The Crawford Woolen Company discharges directly into the 

" Results of straam measurements on Opequon and Tuscarora creeks near Martinsburg are given 
on pp. 78-82. 



232 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIIST. • 

run 10,000 gallons of spent dyes and 5,000 gallons of wool scourings in 
twenty-four hours. The Martinsburg Worsted and Cassimere Com- 
pany utilizes the run for its spent-dye liquors, which amount to 5,000 
gallons in twenty-four hours. 

No other important contamination taints Tuscarora Creek below 
this little run. Before leaving the discussion of Martinsburg, how- 
ever, it should be noted that the ice consvimed in the city, though 
mainly of local manufacture, is in part cut on the Tuscarora Creek 
above the city and in part on Opequon Creek above Tuscarora Creek. 
The latter source is undoubtedly luisate on account of the pollution 
of Opequon Creek by the city of Winchester, and the practice of har- 
vesting ice on it should be prohibited. From the mouth of Tuscarora 
Creek, Opequon Creek flows for a few miles through a farming 
country to the Potomac. 

POTOMAC RIVER FROM OPEftTTON GREEK TO ANTIETAM CREEK. 

On the Potomac, 20 miles below Opequon Creek, is Shepherdstown, 
a village with no public water supply and but few wells, most of the 
inhabitants using cistern water. There is no sewerage system, but a 
small run which courses through the town performs the functions of 
one. It is lined with privies and hogpens, which pollute it badly. 
The town is too small to contaminate the Potomac greatly, but its 
contribution of excrement should not be overlooked, for small out- 
breaks of typhoid fever are very likely to occur in places without 
water supply and sewerage, and the disease can easily be disseminated 
by means of infected feces through the agency of the river. Six 
miles below Shepherdstown is the mouth of Antietam Creek. 

ANTIETAM CREEK, a 

Antietam Creek rises in the Green Ridge Mountains, Franklin 
County, Pa., and discharges into the Potomac 5 miles below Sharps- 
burg. On Little Antietam Creek is the town of Mont Alto, which fur- 
nishes some indirect pollution to the stream. Between East Branch 
and Little Antietam Creek, in Franklin County, is the borough of 
Waynesboro, which contains several large industrial plants, but none of 
them have liquid wastes. The Frick Company, however, runs the sew- 
age of its 700 employees into Little Antietam Creek through an open 
sewer. The water supply of Waynesboro is well adapted to boiler 
use, and gives general satisfaction. It is derived from two sources. 
One of them, Bailey Spring Run, is 4 miles northeast of the town. 
The reservoir was constructed in 1885, and is now rarely used, being 
simpl}^ a reserve wliich can be called on in case of emergency. The 
main supply of the town is derived from Rattlesnake Run, across 
which a dam has been built at its confluence with East Branch of Antie- 
tam Creek in the Pennsylvania Forest Reserve. From this point the 

a Results of stream m-asurcments on Antietam Creek at Sharpsburg are given o i pp. 82-90. 



STREAM POLLUTION : ANTIETAM CKEEK. 233 

water is carried 7 miles southward and served to the town. There 
is no sewerage other than an irregular system of drains, which are 
supposed to exclude soil. The cesspools, which are universally used, 
drain through the broken limestone, presumably to one or the other 
of the branches of the Antietam. The result is that practically all the 
wells of the town are polluted, and have been abandoned both on this 
account and because the water is hard and not adapted to domestic 
or manufacturing use. 

The next town of importance below Wajoiesboro is Hagerstown, a 
large industrial center of western Maryland. Its public water supply 
is furnished by the Washington Countj^ Water Company, and is 
derived from runs on South Mountain, 11 miles from the city. The 
present waterworks were started in 1896 and completed in 1903. 
Their capacity is 1,500,000 gallons in twenty-four hours; that of the 
old works, estabhshed in 1881, was 400,000 gallons. In 1902, owing 
to the depleted condition of the reservoirs, it was found necessary to 
establish a pumping station on Antietam Creek at Bridgeport. 
Water was pumped for thirty days only, and since that time this 
source has never been used, but it is still available. Hagerstown 
has no regular sewerage system, but is pretty thoroughly drained by 
terra-cotta pipes, which are supposed to exclude all soil. Slops, how- 
ever, undoubtedly enter these pipes. Fifty per cent of the houses 
have water-closets; the rest depend on privies. Cesspools which 
serve the water-closets are in many cases abandoned wells, and esti- 
mates have been made that 40 per cent of them are so. Privy-vault 
matter is sometimes buried in the town, but more commonly it is car- 
ried outside of the city limits and disposed of on farms. Owing to 
the fact that cesspool drainage and other pollution finds its way 
through the crevices and seams in the rocks that underlie the town 
to the general water level, most of the wells have become polluted, 
and consequently many of them have been closed up. The fact that 
a considerable number of typhoid cases occur every year in Hagers- 
town and that these are as a rule confined to users of well water seems 
to indicate that the remaining wells should be abandoned. The indi- 
rect pollution is probably largely carried off by Town Run, a tribu- 
tary of Marsh Run, which in turn enters Antietam Creek. Town 
Run receives the condenser water and washings from beer barrels of 
the Hagerstown Brewery Company, wliich claims that it is this flux 
of water alone that keeps the run from stagnating and becoming very 
foul and offensive in summer time. The Blue Ridge Knitting Com- 
pany does considerable dyeing not only for itself, but for other firms 
in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Its wastes are spent dyes and rinse 
water from the finished goods and amount to 2,400 to 3,600 gallons 
in twenty-four hours. They are disposed of in the Town Run. J. C. 
Roulette & Co. bleach their goods, and the rinse water, amounting 



234 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

to 3,500 gallons in twenty-four hours, and the wasted spent bleach 
enter Marsh Run. The Antietam Creek Paper Companj^ is located 
outside of Hagerstown, and makes paper from wood, rags, and paper 
by the soda process. The most important waste is spent lime bleach, 
which is sedimented near the mill and applied to a farm owned by the 
company. 

Below its confluence with Marsh Run, Antietam Creek receives 
important pollution from but one other source — the toMTi of Sharps- 
burg, Md., located on a little run a short distance from the creek. 
The town is a small one, but it is near the battlefield of Antietam, 
and therefore is periodically visited by crowds who severely tax its 
limited sanitary facilities. The run on which it is located heads in a 
spring which is in common use as a water suppty, though the inhabi- 
tants have to go to it for water. In the summer of 1904 there was 
a typhoid epidemic which some persons attributed to the use of 
the spring water. At that time there was a general cleaning out 
of the privy vaults and hog pens that line the run, and now very few 
of the hog pens directty overhang it, though it undoubtedly receives 
much fecal matter of both man and animals. While the amount must 
be small in proportion to pollution from other soiirces, it is perhaps 
important because Sharpsburg is but 60 miles above Washington, 
where the Potomac is used as a public water supply, and pollution 
from Sharpsburg would probably reach Washington in a day or two. 

POTOMAC Rr/ER FROM ANTIETAM CREEK TO SHENANDOAH RIVER. 

Elk Branch, which enters the Potomac a little above Harpers Ferry, 
receives the sewage of Shenandoah Junction, W. Va., where a consider- 
able number of travelers find victuals and temporary lodging. Ten 
miles below the mouth of Antietam Creek, at Harpers Ferrj^, the Poto- 
mac is joined by the Shenandoah. The towi.! is situated on the tongue 
of land between the rivers and is unsewered, so that various ways are 
adopted to get the soil into the Potomac, where practically all the 
refuse of the tovm goes. The Baltimore and Ohio station is right on 
the river, into which its water-closets conveniently discharge beneath 
the railroad bridge. The subject of the sanitation of the railroads 
in the Potomac basin is not an unimportant one, for besides the sta- 
tions, which are, of course, fixed and can always be carefulh'^ provided 
for, there are 1,200 miles of track over which pass ever^'^ day manj^ 
hundreds of people from all parts of the Union, many of them from 
cities and towns in which typhoid fever is common. The usual 
method of caring for the excreta of these travelers is to let it drop 
along the tracks. It has generally been assumed that this is the best 
way of handling this material, but it seems a fair question whether 
it is or not. Undoubtedly the method was originally adopted because 
of its simplicity, and it has received general acceptance without much 



STREAM POLLUTION : SHENANDOAH BASIN. 235 

thought as to its possibihties for spreadmg uifection. Perhaps in 
the future this problem will receive more careful attention and some 
other means of disposing of the feces, such as collecting them and 
leavmg them at definite points for disposal, may be adopted. 

One of the hotels in Harpers Ferry has its fixtures connected to a 
cesspool, the overflow of which is piped to the river. Another is con- 
nected by a sewer to the old arsenal yard, where abandoned raceways 
conduct the sewage to the river. It is said that not a few private 
houses dispose of their sewage in the same way. Privies are common 
in Harpers Ferry, and the vault matter is disposed of as suits the 
owners; it is believed that some of them throw the soil into the rivers. 
There is no public water supply, the people for the most part relying 
on cisterns, though a few take water from the brewery, which brings 
its water from springs in the Blue Ridge Mountains across the bed of 
the Shenandoah. The Hill Top Hotel pumps some of its water from 
Potomac River. The only industrial wastes in Harpers Ferry are 
those of the brewery and two pulp mills, one of which is on the Poto- 
mac and the other on the Shenandoah. Both mills manufacture 
mechanical wood pulp, in which process the logs are freed from their 
bark before being ground (PI. VIH, B, p. 222). The shavings were 
formerly disposed of by being put into the rivers, and at the time of 
the inspection evidences of this pollution were very manifest. Since 
that time both mills have installed apparatus for burning the shavings 
and the nuisance is abated. The brewery discharges the washings 
from its beer kegs into the Shenandoah. 

POLLUTION IN SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN. 

Shenandoah River is formed at Riverton, Va., by the confluence 
of North and South forks. South Fork in turn is formed at Port 
Republic by the junction of North and South rivers. 

SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RI\ER BASIN. 
SOTTTH RIVER, o 

South River rises west of Greenville, Augusta County, W. Va., and 
flows eastward past Basic City and Waynesboro, towns on opposite 
banks of the river, forming a considerable center of population. Here 
the stream receives its initial industrial pollution. Basic City has a small 
blanket factory and a factory for the manufacture of tanning extract 
from chestnut-oak wood. The pollution furnished by the former con- 
sists of rinse water from the finished goods, and from the latter,, at 
the present time, such amounts of extract as are absorbed by the 
condenser water. When the plant was new the leaching vats leaked 
and caused much complaint because the extract stained the river 

"The results of measurements of South River at Basic City and Port Republic are given on pp. 
91-98. 

iRR 192—07 16 



236 THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASHST. 

badly. Several factories have located at different tunes in Basic City, 
but their existence has been short. A large summer hotel annually 
attracts many visitors. The city is supplied with water from a spring 
close to the river. There is no sewerage system, but one of the hotels 
has a private sewer which discharges into a run that enters North 
River below the waterworks. 

Waynesboro is supplied with water from Bakers Spring, which is 
owned by private parties, and for the use of which the town pays a 
small sum every year. The mains and service pipes, together with 
a storage tank of 50,000 gallons capacity, are owned hj the town, 
and were installed in 1897 at a cost of $10,000. The introduction of 
this supply reduced the typhoid rate and has led to the general aban- 
donment of wells. A stove factory is the largest industrial plant in 
Waynesboro. It has no liquid wastes, but the sewage from its 100 
employees is discharged into a race which enters the river. Bruns- 
wick Inn is also reported as sewering into the river, and it is said that 
the material from the many privies in town is thrown into it. The 
slaughterhouses in both Waynesboro and Basic City dispose of their 
offal m the stream. 

From Basic City South River flows in a northerly direction. At 
Crimora a small run enters, which is very turbid owing to the wash- 
ing of manganese ore by the Crimora Manganese Company near its 
head. This concern employs 100 men, who are established in small 
huts scattered over the watershed of the run. A long tunnel is being 
driven in. the mines which will drain them more thoroughly and 
deliver the water on lands of the company instead of to the run. It 
is proposed to construct settling basins to clarify the water, which 
will then be led, in some way not determined, to the river. 

NORTH RIVER, a 

North River rises in the Shenandoah Mountains in the northwest 
corner of Augusta County, on the slopes of Briery Branch Knob. 
The upper part of its watershed is given over to lumbering, and at 
Stokesville, just east of Narrow Back Mountain, are located a saw- 
mill and a tanning-extract factory. The latter is still uncompleted 
and unless unusual precautions are taken when the plant is started, 
the leaking vats may discolor the river. In the summer of 1905 this 
town was the seat of an outbreak of typhoid fever. The first case, 
which was probably imported, was in a family whose spring was in 
common use in the town. About two weeks afterwards two other 
users of the waters of this spring were taken sick. One of them was 
removed to the west end of the town, where he remained for a few 
days, after which he was taken to Harrisonburg. In this interval he 
apparently infected a privy which was used by several families, 

o The results of stream measurements in the North River basin are given on pp. 98-108. 



STREAM POLLUTION : NORTH RIVER. 237 

situated dii'ectlj^ opposite the house where he was confined. Later, 
typhoid germs from this source must have been disseminated in the 
neighborhood by flies, for 4 cases appeared close by and they were 
the only ones in the whole town among those who did not use the 
spring water. Other cases, 13 in number, occurred among the users 
of the spring and people who lived along the run which rises in it, 
and who either had access to the spring itself or used the water of 
the run for one purpose or another in their homes. This epidemic 
illustrates very well how typhoid fever originates and spreads in the 
basin of the Potomac. As a rule, the outbreaks occur in small towns 
where there are no facilities for disposing of ordure and where the 
limited water supply is in general use and is derived from some 
source surrounded by dwellings. Sanitary precautions, throiigh the 
ignorance of the people, are entirely neglected and twelve months in 
the year conditions are ripe for an outbreak of typhoid. All that 
is needed is to have the initial case imported. Once that is accom- 
plished, the disease spreads rapidly. In many towns where repeated 
outbreaks have occurred, the disease may be said to have established 
itself permanently, a case or two being present all the time. This can 
be readily understood, for the stools are not sterilized, and it needs 
only a transportation of privy matter or some other infectious mate- 
rial to start fresh cases. 

The next town below Stokesville is Bridgewater, which also has 
been subject to outbreaks of typhoid fever. There is no public water 
supply, the people being dependent on cisterns and wells. On the 
river somewhat west of the town is a woolen factory where blankets 
are made. It is run only part of the year and the wastes, consisting 
of a small quantity of wool scourings, spent dyes, and rinse from the 
finished goods, are emptied directly into North River. 

Below Bridgewater is Mount Crawford, located on North River 
somewhat to the west of Cooks Creek." Typhoid has been prevalent 
here, which may perhaps be partly accounted for by the fact that 
the citizens have cut and used ice from Cooks Creek, a stream receiv- 
ing the sewage of Harrisonburg. 

Harrisonburg is about 8 miles northeast of Mount Crawford. It 
is one of the largest cities in the valley and seems to be growing 
steadily. It has a public water supply derived from Dry River, 13 
miles farther west. It is said that since the supply was introduced 
typhoid, which was formerly very common, has been materially re- 
duced. The sewerage system is a combmed one and is available in 
nearly all parts of the city. The flow, which is estimated at 250,000 
gallons in twenty-four hours, is discharged a quarter of a mile south 
of the city into Blacks Run, a tributary of Cooks Creek. This sew- 
age is augmented by the waste from the plant of the J. P. Houck 

«The results of measurements of Cooks Creek at Mount Crawford are given on pp. 98-101. 



238 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIK, 

Tanniiig Company, estimated at 2,500 gallons a day. The waste 
from the Imie rats is sedimented and the liquor run into the sewer, 
as is the waste sour bark liquor. The liquor from the scouring 
machines and a waste made up of various small leakages that occur 
in various parts of the tannery are turned directly into the run. 
Together they make the water very foul, especially in summer, when 
the city authorities have occasionally been obliged to flush out the 
stream on account of the bad odors arising from it. Whenever 
observed, the run has appeared to be taxed to its utmost, and it is 
reported that in summer the waste from the tannery has decidedly 
discolored North River as far as Mount Crawlford railroad station. 
No other factories in Harrisonburg have liquid wastes. 

Four miles above Port Republic North River receives Middle 
River, which rises in Little North Mountain southwest of Staunton. 
Middle River flows northeastward to Long Glade, then southeast- 
ward to Laurel Hill, where Lewis Creek enters." This creek is 
heavily polluted by the sewage of Staunton, an energetic, prosperous 
city estimated to have 12,000 buildings, 50 per cent of which are 
connected with the sewer. There are no manufacturing plants 
having liquid wastes; therefore the sewage is almost entirely do- 
mestic. The system, which is a combined one, was established 
twenty-five years ago and has growTi slowly and irregularly ever 
since. The first water supply was introduced in 1849 and is still in 
use, but the main supply was put into service in 1876, at a cost of 
$100,000, -and comes from springs on the bank of a stream one-half 
mile west of the city. The wells of the city are badly polluted and 
most of them have been closed up by the local authorities. The 
typhoid rate of the city is very low, only one death being recorded 
in 1904. 

The water supply of Staunton was at one .time unpleasantly 
affected by fresh-water sponge which grew in one of the reservoirs. 
The trouble was investigated by Prof. J. W. Mallet, whose report is 
on file with the city authorities. The sponge was killed and the 
trouble completely overcome by fluctuations of the water level. 

SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER BELOW PORT REPUBLIC, 

Below Port Republic, South Fork of Shenandoah River flows north- 
eastward through the Page Valley, being separated by Massanutten 
]\Iountain from North Fork, which joins it at Riverton. 

Keezletown is located on the west side of the mountain, but dis- 
charges its refuse into South Fork through Cub Run. It is a small 
town, but the nm receives some pollution there from the tannery of 
A. D. Bertram, which has a capacity of 700 hides a year. 

o The results of measurements of Lewis Creek near Staunton are given on pp. 101-103. 



STEEAM POLLUTION : SOUTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH. 239 

A little below the mouth of Cub Run South Fork receives Stony 
Run, which rises on the east side of the mountain and flows tlu'ough 
McGaheysville, where it is contaminated by a tannery having a 
capacity of about a hide a day. 

At Elkton South Fork is much befouled by the waters of Elk Run, 
•which rises in the Blue Ridge Mountains and flows westward to the 
river.'* Elkton has a public water supply which is furnished from 
springs by the Wampole Lithia Company. There is no sewerage; the 
inhabitants depend entirely on outhouses, the soil of which is said to 
be thrown into Elk Run when they are cleaned. One of the hotels has 
a trench for its urinal and slops wliich leads directly to the run. The 
stream also receives pollution from the tannery of J. R. Cover & Sons. 
This plant employs 25 hands, and has a privy directly overhanging a 
ditch that leads to the run. Through this ditch are discharged the 
wastes, which amount to 1,500 gallons a day. • Inspection makes it 
quite evident that this amount is too large for the little run to carry 
off promptly and easily. Indeed, the effect of the pollution on the 
river itself must be considerable. In the summer a hotel is opened 
in Elkton which is said to accommodate many guests. While such 
places add to the wealth of the towns that are fortunate enough to 
possess them, they contain an element of danger, for their patrons 
come from many different places and may carry in their persons 
germs of disease contracted in their homes. In due time these 
unfortunates sicken and then the infection elaborated by them is 
likely to lay hold of the community they are visiting and make it a 
center from which contagion spreads. 

Below Elkton is Shenandoah, a prosperous town which can pollute 
the river but indirectly. Thirty miles below is the mouth of Hawks- 
bill Creek, on which is located, in Page county, the town of Lura}^.'' 
The creek divides the town into very nearly equal portions which 
rise somewhat abruptly from it; consequently the run-off tlii'ough 
the town is quick and carries with it considerable refuse. A water 
supply was installed in 1900. Typhoid fever is said to have been prev- 
alent prior to its introduction, but such is not now the case. There 
is no regular sewerage system in town, and cesspools are commonly 
used. As a rule they do not need cleaning, because they leak away 
through the underlying limestone. A number of water-closets and 
one of the hotels discharge directly into Hawksbill Creek. At one 
time there was some agitation against permitting them to do so, but 
it died out, and now the suggestion has been made that the town 
establish a sewerage system and utilize the creek for an outlet. 
Luray has usually a large transient population, attracted thither by 

o Results of measurements of Elk Run at Elkton are given on pp. 110-112. 

b Results of measurements of Hawksbill Creek at Luray are given on pp. 112-115. 



240 THE POTOMAC RTVER BASTN. 

the wonderful caverns. Thus the town is considerabl}^ exposed to 
the danger of infection being imported from outside. The chief pol- 
lution of HaAvksbill Creek is by the Luray tannery, owned by the 
Deford Company, of Baltimore. Tliis plant employs 170 hands, and 
the waste poured into the creek amounts to 10,000 gallons a day. 
The waste from the beam house and the scouring liquor are run into 
two cesspools, where they are allowed to evaporate. The residue is 
used for a fertilizer on a farm owned by the company. The volume of 
sour bark liquor, which with the soil of six water-closets is carried in 
a long trench to the creek, is so large in proportion to that of the 
stream that the latter is colored a deep red and maintains the hue to its 
mouth, 5 miles below the factory. An acetylene-gas company in the 
center of the towm piles its lime sludge on the banks of the Creek. 

NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH KIVER BASIN. 

North Fork of the Shenandoah rises in the northern part of Rocking- 
ham Count}^ and flows southeastward to Broadway, where it turns 
to the northeast. North Fork is not much polluted until it reaches 
New Market, where, on a tributary of Smiths Creek, there is a small 
tannery owned by F. M. Tusing. The next town below is Mount Jack- 
son, w^hich is on Mill Creek a little way from its mouth. It has neither 
public water supply nor sewerage, the people retying almost wholly 
on cistern water, as there are but a few wells in to^^^l. The pollution 
here is inconsiderable and very indirect. From Edmburg to Stras- 
burg the course of North Fork is decidedly meandering. At Toms- 
brook a creamery pollutes North Fork. At Woodstock a creamery 
pollutes Hollow Run, but the rest of the refuse of the town is insig- 
nificant. There is no public water supply nor sewerage, and the 
river receives only a little very indirect pollution from the town. 

Strasburg is the largest tow^n in the valley of North Fork of the 
Shenandoah. It is traversed b}' Hupp Spring Run, and this stream 
carries off most of the waste from the town, and is also polluted b}^ the 
sludge from a small acetylene-gas plant and by the effluent from 
O. F. Chandler's tannery, which has a capacity of about a hide a day. 
At the time of inspection Strasburg was depending on springs and 
wells, but as the well water is very hard a public water supply was 
being installed which it was expected to follow up with a sewerage 
system. 

The only other town to be noticed in the discussion of North Fork 
is Middleto^\^■l, a place without water supply and sewerage, located 
on Marsh Run, a tributary of Cedar Creek, which flows into North 
Fork below Strasburg. The pollution from Middletown is only 
slight and yery indirect. 



-STREAM POLLUTION : SHENANDOAH RTVER. 241 

SHENANDOAH RIVER BASIN BELOW NORTH AND SOUTH FORKS. 

Riverton lies between North and South forks of Shenandoah River 
and poUutes the rivers but Httle, as it is a small place, with most of 
the houses some distance from the two streams. The town pur- 
chases its water from Front Royal, and therefore enjoys the same 
immunity from typhoid as that town. There is a large duck farm 
which drains into the North Fork of the Shenandoah. No other pol- 
lution here is worthy of note. 

A short distance below Riverton, Shenandoah River receives the 
drainage of Front Royal, which is on Happy Creek, 3 miles from its 
mouth. Most of the pollution of the creek by the town is indirect, 
for there are few water-closets, most of the people using outhouses, 
though some of the privies are dangerouslj^ near the stream. One 
of the hotels has a cesspool from which the overflow is carried in a 
private sewer toward the creek. The town is a clean one, and is free 
from typhoid fever. The chief source of pollution on the creek is a 
slaughter barn. The offal is fed to swine kept in a yard that reaches 
down to the creek in order that the animals may drink there. When 
observed, no slaughtering was being done, but that considerable 
offal and blood goes into the creek when killing is in progress seeins 
to be the general opinion. Formerly there used to be many cases 
of typhoid fever in Front Royal every year, but this stopped twelve 
years ago, when a public water supply was introduced from Chester 
Gap, 4 miles to the southeast. The source of supply is from springs 
whose flow is collected in a reservoir of 1,500,000 gallons capacity and 
run by gravity into the town. The cost of the works was $40,000. 

Twenty-four miles below Riverton is the mouth of Lewis Run, 
which drains the town of Berryville, the county seat of Clarke 
County. There is no manufacturing in Berryville, but the run is pol- 
luted by hogpens and privies which are near it. Moreover, many of 
the houses have sewers for their slops which empty into the run. The 
town has a public water supply which is said to be excellent. Pre- 
vious to its introduction, typhoid was rampant in the town and now 
it is of rare occurrence. 

Fifteen irdles below Berryville Evitt Run enters the Shenandoah. 
This is a rather attractive stream of clear water, which does not 
show ocular evidence of pollution, though it carries the indirect pol- 
lution of Charles Town, the county seat of Jefferson County. This 
city has no sewerage system and has not been compelled to construct 
one because of the fact that if there are not seams enough in the lime- 
stone to carry away the leakage of the numerous cesspools, the explo- 
sion of a dynamite cartridge in the rock at the bottom of the cesspool 
is sufficient to insure its caring for itself. The water supply of the 



242 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

town was originally obtained from several town pumps, all' but two 
of which have been given up because the above-mentioned method 
of caring for sewage has allow^ed cesspool matter to enter the wells. 

The present water supply is sufficient and satisfactory. It is fur- 
nished by the Charles Town Water and Manufacturing Company, 
which brings it from a spring 1 mile west of towTi. 

Between Evitt Run and Harpers Ferry Flowing Run enters the 
river. This stream is contaminated by the paper box board factor}' 
of Eister & Sons at Halltown, W. Ya. The firm makes box board 
from-old paper, and the effluent, consisting of dirty water with much 
paper and fiber in suspension, is turned directly into the run and 
muddies it. Additional pollution is furnished by the privies of the 
concern, which overhang the stream for the convenience of its 35 
employees. 

POLLUTION IN POTOMAC RIVER BASIN BELOW SHENANDOAH 

RIVER. 

POTOMAC RIVER FROM SHENANDOAH RIVER TO MONOCACY RIVER. 

At Harpers Ferry the Potomac cuts through the Blue Ridge Moun- 
tains between Loudoun Heights on the south and Maryland Heights 
on the north, and enters the upper Coastal Plain region. Along the 
northern bank there is a scattered population, most of whom are 
densely ignorant of sanitary laws. The privy vaults and hogpens 
are near the houses except where there is a little stream, in wliich 
case the structures are located over it, and thus the oft'al is carried to 
the river. At Weverton and Knoxville, Md., this population is some- 
what concentrated, and at Knoxville the privies and hogpens wliich 
overhang the creek that passes tlu-ough the town are more numerous 
than is usual in tliis region. The migratory character of the popu- 
lation in these towns and the accompanpng crude sanitary conditions 
constitute a decided menace to the river. During the summer of 1905 
typhoid fever prevailed in these settlements, and probably if records 
could be obtained for the past dozen years it would be found that it 
had done so every 3^ear. They are not more than 35 miles from 
Wasliington, and should be subjected to rigid sanitar}^ supervision. 

Below Knoxville is Brunswick, Md., a towTi wliich has sprung into 
existence on account of the location of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
road shops there. These shops employ 400 men, and while there are 
no liquid wastes the sewage of the employees furnishes the Potomac 
with considerable indirect pollution. The priv}" which is used by 
the roundhouse force is located close to the canal and is nearly sur- 
rounded by a green pool caused by seepage from it; about 100 yards 
distant is another privy in a large cinder bed. The town is on a high, 
steep hill and is crossed by four dift'erent runs along which are a 
number of privies, some of them actually overhanging the streams. 



STREAM POLLUTION : MONOCACY RIVER. 243 

Second Culvert Run furnishes the most important pollution, for into 
it is discharged the sewage of the railroad bunk house, which is fitted 
with water-closets, bath tubs, and urinals. This sewage is created 
by a roving population, and consequently by one more exposed to 
disease than a settled one would be, and the excrement is correspond- 
ingly more dangerous. It is expected that a large Y. M. G. A. build- 
ing will be erected alongside the bunk-house, and that too will dis- 
charge into the run. There are a few water-closets in the town, some 
of which are connected to the runs, but in general privies are used. 
For water the town is dependent on wells and cisterns, though at 
the east end of town there is a private supply which comes from the 
Potomac. The peculiar topography and population -of Brunswick 
make it very necessary that sanitary matters be thoroughly looked 
after there. The fact that it is on the steep sides of a high hill insures 
all the offal finding its way promptly to the river, and the shifting 
population, however well intentioned it may be, is more or less likely 
to bring disease into the cominunity from without. Finally, the 
town, is near Washington, arid therefore tj^hoid germs will be trans- 
ported by the Potomac to that city in a short time. In the summer 
of 1905, at the time the inspection was made, it was reported that 
there were five cases of typhoid fever in Brunswick, but what precau- 
tions were taken to sterilize the stools and otherwise protect the 
public were not ascertained. 

A few miles below Brunswick the Potomac receives Catoctin Creek 
of Virginia and Catoctin Creek of Maryland, after which it cuts 
through Catoctin Mountains and emerges at Point of Rocks, in the 
lower Coastal Plain region. Point of Rocks and Washington Junc- 
tion form a single settlement skirting the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Canal." Like the other places below Harpers Ferry, they are lacking 
in sanitary arrangements. At Washington Junction the water- 
closet of the railroad station discharges into the river. From Point 
of Rocks it is 3 miles to the mouth of Tuscarora Creek, on which at 
Adamstown there is a small cannery. The creek is also polluted at 
Doubs. 

MONOCACY RIVER BASIN, 

Two miles east of South Tuscarora Creek Monocacy River enters 
the Potomac. It has three large feeders that rise in Adams County — 
Marsh, Rock, and IVIiddle creeks. Between the two former, on the 
watershed of Rock Creek, is the borough of Gettysburg, and on 
Middle Creek is the town of Emmitsburg. Gettysburg derives most 
of its water supply from Marsh Creek, southwest of the town. The 
watershed above the intake is not heavily polluted, though at 
McKnightstown there is a tannery with a capacity of 100 hides a 
week. The water is filtered through a Warren filter that was installed 



o Results of measurements of Potomac River at Point of Rocks are given on pp. 148-161. 



244 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

twelve years ago. Goagulent is used only when the creek is very 
tiirbid. This supply is supplemented and mixed with water obtained 
from two driven wells on Cemetery Hill. These are pumped bj^ wind 
power and are constantly in use. The borough is now installing a 
sewerage system for soil only which when finished will have 7 miles 
of pipe line and it is expected will be generally utilized by the citizens. 
The sewage will be treated in two septic tanks, and the effluent from 
them will be filtered through brick walls and then run into Rock Greek 
into which the private sewers of the town now discharge. It is to be 
hoped that the treatment of the sewage will be effective, for Gettys- 
burg is almost daily visited by large numbers of sight-seers. The 
throng of pilgrims is variable, sometimes being small and sometimes 
rising to 10,000 in a single day. The people come to see the beautiful 
battlefield, which has been carefully preserved by the National Gov- 
ernment. As the park is a permanent one, there will probably never 
be any diminution in the number of visitors. In a throng of this 
kind there are apt to be many who seize the opportunity for a rest 
because they are out of condition, run down, or sick, and think that a 
little excursion will restore them. Among such people there are 
likely to be some in one stage or another of typhoid fever, so that the 
transient population that visits Gettysburg may be something of a 
menace to the waters of the Potomac ; hence the desirability of care- 
fully purifying the sewage before it is discharged into the creek. 

Stevens Run, a tributary of Rock Creek, is polluted by the effluent 
of a gas works. The waste makes the run ill smelling and repulsive 
in appearance. Moreover, it is said to injure fish life, and a suit has 
been brought by the Fish Commission against the company. Culps 
Run, another tributary of Rock Creek, receives the sewage and efflu- 
ents from W. S. Duttera's tannery, which turns out 50 hides a week, 
and the wastes from which are similar to those discharged from other 
tanneries. 

Emmitsburg, on Middle Creek, is the site of Mount St. Mary's 
Academy, St. Joseph's Academy, and the mother house in the United 
States of the Sisters of Charity. The population of the town, includ- 
ing the sisterhood, is 2,000. There is neither public water supply nor 
sewerage. 

On Double Pipe Creek is Westminster, a large town without public 
water supply or sewerage. 

From the junction of Marsh and Middle creeks to the mouth of Car- 
roll Creek the distance is 25 miles. Carroll Creek rises in Catoctin 
Mountain, northwest of Frederick, Frederick County, Md., and flows 
southeastward through the southern part of the city to the Monocacy. 
The Frederick water supply is obtained from Big Tuscarora Creek, 
Little Tuscarora Creek, and Fishing Creek and is said to be whole- 
some, a statement that is borne out by the low typhoid rate of the city. 



STREAM pollution: MONOCACY BASTN. 245 

Each of the two main streets has a single drain, which was put in pri- 
marily with the object of carrying off the water from cellars of abut- 
ting houses. They have developed into sewers from which soil is 
excluded, but which take in slops and siu'face water and discharge 
into Carroll Creek. In many of the streets of the city the slops run 
tlirough the gutters and ultimately reach the creek. 

The indirect industrial pollution of Carroll Creek consists of an 
insignificant amount of waste from a cannery and from the scrubbers 
of a gas house. It is directly contaminated by the scouring liquor 
from the Brierly tannerj^, together with some lime sludge that is piled 
on the banks of the creek; by the effluent from a steam laundry, by 
the sewage of the Carroll Countj'^ almshouse, and, most obviously, by 
the pollution from the works of the Union Knitting Company, con- 
sisting of the sewage of 200 employees and a large quantity of spent 
dyes. 

The pollution received by the Monocacy from the mouth of Carroll 
Creek to the Potomac is, for the most part, very insignificant, being 
only that incident to the life of widely separated farms. At Fred- 
erick Junction the closets of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station 
empty into the river. Buckeystown is the most considerable settle- 
ment below Frederick on the Monocacy. It is drained by a little run 
which receives the washings of a cannery and a small creamery, besides 
the discharge of water-closets. The un vaulted privies of a large brick 
works in the town are about 20 feet from the stream. The water used 
in Buckeystown is derived from cisterns. 

POTOMAC EIVER FROM MONOCACY RIVER TO GREAT FALLS. 

The largest and most important tributary of the Potomac between 
the mouth of the Monocacy and Great Falls is Goose Creek. It has 
a large drainage area, which is on the south side of the river and lies 
east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The watershed is given over to 
agriculture and contains but one town of much size. Hence the prox- 
imity of the basin to Washington is not nearly so important as it 
would be if the population was large and concentrated at a few points. 
The development of this drainage area Mall be watched with uiterest, 
for should it become the home of a large summer population, or should 
other considerable towns spring up in it, the creek might become a 
serious menace to Washington, inasmuch as disease germs from it 
could be transported to the city in a few hours. 

' Leesburg, the important town alluded to, is on Tuscarora Creek, a 
tributary of Goose Creek. There is no sewerage system in the town, 
but 800 feet of 2-foot terra-cotta drains, which are supposed to carry 
surface water only, discharge into Tuscarora Creek. Therefore the 
pollution caused by Leesburg is indirect save for the few privies that 
overhang Tuscarora Creek. The water supply of the town is inade- 
quate and was suspected at one time of being contaminated, for in the 



246 



THK POTOMAC BTVER BASIN, 



summer of 1904 there was considerable typhoid fever, and this impelled 
the citizens to bond the town for $30,000 to enable it to increase its 
water supply. The new system will furnish an abundant supply and 
will probably result in the construction of a complete sewerage sys- 
tem, which will have its outlet in Goose Creek. 

Eight miles above Great Falls is Seneca Creek, whose watershed is 
given over to small farming and which does not contain a single 
important center of population. The creek would not be worth nien- 
tioning here did not its proximity to Washington make it possible for 
disease germs originating in its basin to be transmitted to the capital 
in a very short time. 

POPULATION AND DRAINAGE AREAS. 

The following tables show the population and the drainage areas of 
the smaller basins that make up the Potomac watershed: 

Pojndalion of the Potomac River hasin. 
[According to the census of 1900.] 





Distance 

of mouth 

above 

Great 

Falls. 


Popula- 
tion. 


Estimated 

population 

per square 

mile. 


NORTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Savage River 


Miles. 
209 




1 


Swanton . . . 


87 
87 




Other towns 








207 




Georges Creek 


174 


174 


Barton 


1,287 
5,274 
2,181 
1,800 
1,500 
1,194 




Frostburg . • . 












Midland 






Ocean 






Other towns 








174 






13,236 




Wills Creek . . . 




116 


Cumberland 


17, 128 
1,600 
1,242 




Eckhs rt Mines 






Hyndman 






Jennings Run 






Mount Savage 




2.000 

800 

2,623 

6.000 










Other towns 






Estimated remaining population on Wills Creek and tribu- 
taries 








169 






31.493 




Evitts Creek.. 








i57 
104 
142 

1,500 




Hazen 












Estimated remaining population on Evitts Creek and tribu- 
taries ... . 








Ififi 






1,903 




Patterson Creek 


m 

259 
140 
483 


4 


-\laska 










Medley ... - 




















1,065 





STBEAM pollution: POPULATION. 



247 



Population of the Potomac River basin — Continued. 




NORTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER BASIN— Continued. 



North Branch Potomac River 

Bayard 

Blaine 

Bloomington - 

Dobbin 

Elli Garden 

Gormania 

Keyser 

Piedmont 

Westemport 

Ijuke 

Other towns 

Estimated remaining poputlaion on the North Branch and 
minor tributaries 



Total for North Branch Potomac basin . 



SOUTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



South Branch Potomac River 

Circleville 

Franklin 

Monterey 

Moorefield 

Petersbnrg 

Purgitsville 

Romney 

Springfield 

Other tovnis 

Estimated remaining population on South Branch and tribu- 
taries 



POTOMAC BASIN BELOW NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES. 



Town, Sideling, and Fifteenmilc creeks 

ChaneysviUe 

■ Flintstone 

Gilpin 

Other towns 

Estimated remaining population on Town, Fifteenraile, and 
Sideling creeks 



Little Oacapon River 

Great Cacapon River 

Augusta -. 

Capon Bridge 

Forks of Capon 

Inkerman. .- 

Lost City 

Wordensville 

Other towns - 

Estimated remaining population on Great Cacapon River 
and tributaries 



Great Tonoloway Creek 

Covalt 

Sipes Mill 

Other towns 

Estimated remaining population on Great Tonoloway Creek 
and tributaries 



152 
122 



112 



Sleepy Creek and tributaries. 



119 
205 
246 
460 
312 
102 
580 
142 
1,431 

18,000 



21,597 



147 
250 
100 
224 

11,070 



11,791 



2,423 



126 
193 
66 
40 
55 
152 
1,036 

10, 800 



12, 468 



151 
113 
529 

1,600 



2,393 



2,941 



248 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 
Population of the Potomac River basin — Continued. 





Distance 

of mouth 

above 

Great 

Falls. 


Popula- 
tion. 


Estimated 

population 

per square 

mile. 


POTOMAC BASIN BKLOW NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES— cont'd. 

Licking Creek 


Miles. 
105 




39 


McConnellsburg ... 


572 
110 
190 
122 
466 

6,200 
















Webster . . 






Other towns 






Estimated remaining population on Licking Creek and tribu- 
taries . - . 








96 






7,660 




Back Creek 




28 


Baxter 


102 
342 
143 
923 

6,500 




Hedgesville 






Shanghai 












Estimated remaining population on Back Creek and tribu- 
taries 








90 






8,010 




Conococheague Creek 




47 


Ambersons Valley _. 


312 
8,864 

230 
. 314 

335 
1,463 

956 

410 
1,472 
1,552 

672 
3,987 

6,744 










Dryrun 












Port Loudon 






Greencastle 






Mercersburg 






St. Thomas 






Williamsport 






Brownsville 






Fayetteville 


Si 










Estimated remaining population on Conococheague Creek 
and tributaries 








78 






27,311 








74 




338 
228 
231 
239 




Bunker Hill 






Darkesville 






Gerrardstown 






Jordan Springs 






Eearnesville 




203 
7,564 

466 
5,161 

250 
1,167 

8,800 




Martinsburg 






Middleburg 






Winchester ... ... 






White Post 






Other towns 






Estimated remaining population on Opequon Creek and tribu- 
taries 








56 






24,647 








141 




163 
103 
100 
700 
114 
287 
152 
152 
120 
114 
113 
559 
13, 591 
426 
347 
658 
100 
410 
114 




Benevola . . 






Blue Mountain 






Boonesboro 






Breathedsville . . . .... 


















Downsville .... . .... 






Eakles Mills 






Fairplay 






Fiveforks 


















Keedysville 












Mont Alto 






Ponds ville. 




S 








Ringgold 







STREAM POLLUTION : POPULATION. 



249 



Population of the Potomac River basin — Continued. 



POTOMAC BASIN BELOW NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES— cont'd. 

Antietam Creek— Coiitinue.l. 

Sliadygrove 

Sharpsburg 

Smithsburg 

Waynesboro 

Other towns 

Estimated remaining population on Antietam Creelv and trib- 
utaries - 



Distance 

of moutli 

above 

Great 

Fails. 



Miles. 



Slienandoah River basin: 

North River 

Bridgewater 

Dayton 

Harrisonburg 

Moimt Clinton . - . 
Mount Crawford . 

Mount Solon 

Sangerville 

Stokesville 

Other towns 



Middle River 

Churchville 

Longglade 

Middlebrook... 
Mount Sidney. 

New Hope 

Plunkittsville. 

Staunton 

Other towns . . 



South River 

Greenville 

Grottoes 

Port Republic. 

Shendun 

Waynesboro . . 
Other towns.. 



203 



South Fork of Shenandoah River. 

Alma 

Bentonville 

Brownto^vn 

Elkton 

Front Royal 

Keezletown , 

Luray , 

McGaheysville , 

Shenandoah 

Stanleyton 

Other towns 



Passage Creek 

North Fork of Shenandoah River. 

Broadway 

Dovesvill'e 

Edinburg 

Edom... 

Forestville 

Laceys Spring 

Lantz Mill 

Luniville 

Marlboro 

Mauertown 

Middletown 

Milldale 



108 
102 



Popula- 
tion. 



186 
1,030 

462 
5,396 
1,201 

16,342 



42,940 




384 


425 


3,521 


225 


330 


172 


175 


284 


1,026 


6,542 




239 


120 


300 


197 


124 


100 


7,289 


936 


9,305 




328 


381 


200 


381 


856 


1,749 


3,895 





127 
197 
143 
511 

1,005 
225 

1,147 
375 

1,220 
225 

1,353 

6,528 



205 



400 
.512 
143 
176 
104 
105 
250 
125 
100 
423 
153 
153 



Estimated 

population 

per square 

mile. 



250 



THE POTOMAC BIVER BASIN. 
Population of the Potomac River basin — Continued. 





Distance 

of mouth 

above 

Great 

Falls. 


Popula- 
tion. 


Estimated 

population 

per square 

mile. 


POTOMAC BASIN BELOW NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES— Cont'd. 

Shenandoah River lasin— Continufd. 

North Forlc oi Shenandoah Rivtr-Continii d. 

Mount Jackson 


Miles. 


472 
C84 
650 
108 
690 
173 
280 
1,069 
2,322 




New Marlict 






Riverton 






Singers Glen 






Strasburg 






Timberville 






Toms Broolk 






Woodstock 






Other towns 














•19 


9,092 




Shenandoah River below confluence of North and South forks. 






Berryville 


938 
781 
275 
2,392 
115 
106 
400 
490 
217 
590 




Bolivar 






Boyce 






Charles Town 






Halltown 






Kableto wn 






Millwood 






Stephens City 






Summit Point 






















6,304 










Estimated remaining population in Shenandoah River basin . 




74.300 












116,171 


39 




38 




Catoctin Creek, Marvland 




64 


Bolivar 


112 
229 
126 
320 
665 
150 
210 
110 
360 

6, 000 




Burkittsville 






Harmony 






JeSerson 












Myers ville 






Peters ville 






Wolfsville 












Estimated remaining population on Catoctin Creek, Mary- 
land, and tributaries 








33 






8,282 








31 


I-Iillsboro 


131 

721 

2,000 




Other towns ... 






Estimated remaining population on Catoctin Creek, Virginia, 








27 






2,852 




Monocacy River .... . . ... 




92 




125 
139 
137 
436 
146 
150 
132 
100 
849 
395 
172 
9,296 
3, 495 
185 
150 
190 
235 
589 
400 










Bruceville . ... 






Buckeystown 












Catoctin . . . . 






Creagerstown 












Emmittsburg . .... 






Fairfield 


















Gettysburg 


















Johnsville 






Lewistown 






Liberty Town 1 




Lime Kiln 





STKEAM POLLUTION : POPULATION. 



251 



Population of the Potomac Rirer basin — Continued. 





Distance 

of mouth 

above 

Great 

. FaUs. 


Popula- 
tion. 


Estimated 

population 

per square 

mile. 


POTOMAC BASIN BELOW NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES — Cont'd. 

Monocacy River— Continued. 

Littlestown 


Miles. 


1,118 
148 
140 
100 
360 
100 
430 
117 
146 
180 
115 
143 
665 
175 
663 
250 
309 
240 
219 
359 

3,199 
400 
175 

4,583 

55,000 
















New London 












New Midway 












Pleasant Valley 






Redland 












Seven Stars 


















Taylorsville 












Union Mills 






Uniontown 












XJrbana 





































Estimated remaining population on Monocacy River and 








18 






86,661 








35 


Aldie 


147 
175. 
150 
364 
1,513 
175 
250 
296 
168 
1''2 
247 
111 
351 
140 
104 
376 
838 

8,000 










Delaplane 
























Marshall 












Paris . 












Pmcellsville i 








Round Hill i 








Unison ' 








Other towns ' 




taries 








IG 






13, 577 




Broad Run 




14 




203 
336 

550 




Other towns 






ries 








12 
11 




. 


1,089 




Sugarland Run . . . 


848 


38 






Seneca Creek 




50 




125 
125 
150 
547 
170 
236 
557 

4,600 




Cedargrove 












Gaithersburg 












Poolesville 






Other towns 






Estimated remaining population on Seneca Creek and tribu- 














6,510 





IRE 192—07- 



-17 



252 



THE POTOMAC BIVER BASIN. 



Population of the Potomac River basin — Continued. 





Distance 

of mouth 

above 

Great 

Falls. 


Popula- 
tion. 


E stimated 

population 

per square 

mile. 


POTOMAC BASIN BELOW NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES— Cont'd. 

Potomac River and minor tributaries below North and South 
branches 


Miles. 






Adamstown 




256 
781 

2,471 
474 
148 
131 
824 
896 
363 
153 
112 
693 
364 
127 
318 

1,184 
239 
136 

2,186 

15,800 




Berkeley Springs 












Clear Spring. . . . 






Darnestown 






Great Cacapon 






Hancock- , . 






Harpers Ferry ... 






KnoxvUle 






Magnolia 






Oldtown 






Paw Paw 




Point of Rocks 






Potomac. . - ... 












Shepherdstown 






Sir J ohns Run .... 






Weverton . . . . 






Other towns 






Estimated remaining population on Potomac River and minor 
tributaries below North and South branches 














27, 656 




Grand total: Estimated population on Potomac River and 
tributaries above Great Falls 


501,647 


44 









Drainage areas of Potomac River and of its principal tributaries at several points in the 

river basin. 



NORTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Squarimilos. 

North Branch Potomac River above Bloomington, Mel 290 

Savage River at mouth 120 

Georges Creek at mouth 76 

North Branch Potomac River at Piedmont, W. Va. , inchidir;^- Savage River 

and Georges Creek 490 

North Branch Potomac River at United States Geological Survey gaging 

station at Piedmont 410 

New Creek at Keyser, W. Va 56 

Wills Creek at mouth 270 

North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, Md., including New Creek 

and Wills Creek 890 

Patterson Creek below Mill Creek at Burlington 155 

Patterson Creek at mouth 280 

North Branch Potomac River at junction with South Branch 1, 360 

SOUTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

South Branch Potomac River at Franklin, W. Va 190 

South Branch Potomac River at junction with North Fork of South Branch. 320 

North Fork of South Branch Potomac River below Seneca Creek 240 

North Fork of South Branch Potomac River at mouth 320 

South Branch Potomac River, including North Fork of South Branch 640 

South Branch Potomac River at Moorefield, W. Va . . 900 

Mill Creek at mouth 100 



STREAM POLLUTION : DEAINAGE AEEAS. 253 

Square miles. 

Moorefield River at St. Seybert, W. Va 155 

Mooreiield River at mouth at Moorefield, W. Va 300 

South Branch Potomac River below Moorefield, including Moorefield River. 1, 200 

South Branch Potomac River at Romney, W. Va 1, 410 . 

South Branch Potomac River at United States Geological Survey gaging 

station near Springfield 1, 470 

South Branch Potomac River at mouth 1, 490 

POTOMAC RIVER BASIN BETWEEN SHENANDOAH RIVER AND JUNCTION OF NORTH AND 

SOUTH BRANCHES. 

Potomac River at junction of North and South branches '. . . 2, 850 

Little Cacapon River at mouth r 115 

Town Creek 190 

Sideling Creek ■ 120 

Potomac River above Great Cacapon River, including Little Cacapon River. 3, 390 

Great Cacapon River at mouth 670 

North River at mouth 205 

Lost River at mouth 190 

Cacapon River above North River 405 

Potomac River below Great Cacapon River 4, 060 

Potomac River at Hancock, Md . 4, 100 

Warm Spring Run at mouth 16 

Sleepy Creek at mouth , 145 

Licking Creek at mouth 195 

Back Creek at mouth 290 

Great Tonoloway Creek at mouth 125 

Conococheague Creek at mouth 580 

Potomac River at Williamsport, Md., including Warm Spring Run, Great 
Tonoloway Creek, Sleepy Creek, Licking Creek, Back Creek, and Con- 
ococheague Creek 5, 560 

Opequon Creek at mouth 335 

Antietam Creek at mouth 305 

Antietam Creek at United States Geological Survey gaging station near 

Sharpsburg 295 

Potomac River at Harpers Ferry above Shenandoah 6, 350 

SHENANDOAH B.\SIN. 

North River above Bridgewater 295 

Cooks Creek at mouth 42 

North River to Middle River 420 

North River to South River 805 

Middle River to North River 365 

Lewis Creek at mouth 28. 5 

South River to North River 245 

North, South, and Middle rivers above Port Republic 1, 050 

South Fork of Shenandoah River at Shenandoah, Va 1, 290 

Hawksbill Creek at mouth 94 

Hawksbill Creek at United States Geological Survey gaging station 52 

South Fork of Shenandoah River at Overall 1, 490 

South Fork of Shenandoah River at mouth at Riverton 1, 590 

North Fork of Shenandoah River at Brocks Gap 215 

North Fork of Shenandoah River at Mount Jackson 510 

North Fork of Shenandoah River at mouth at Riverton 1, 040 



254 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Square milPs. 

South and North forks of Shenandoah River at Riverton 2, 630 

Shenandoah River at United States Geological Survey gaging station above 

Millville 3, 000 

Shenandoah River at Harpers Ferry 3, 010 

POTOMAC BASIN BELOW SHENANDOAH RIVER. 

Potomac River below Harpers Ferry, including the Shenandoah 9, 360 

Potomac River at Weverton, Md 9, 370 

Potomac River at Point of Rocks, Md 9, 650 

Catoctin Creek, Maryland, at mouth 130 

Catoctin Creek, Virginia, at mouth 93 

Monocacy River at United States Geological Survey gaging station 660 . 

Monocacy River at mouth 940 

Goose Creek ; 385 

Broad Run, Virginia 80 

Sugarland Run 22 

Seneca Creek 130 

Rock Creek 86 

Potomac River at Edwards Ferry 11, 100 

Potomac River at Great Falls , 11, 400 

Potomac River at Chain Bridge 11, 500 

OCCUEREN^CE OF TYPHO D FEVER. 

CAUSES OF TYPHOID FEVER. 

It is now the generally accepted view that typhoid fever is caused 
by the tj'phoid bacillus and that only by the multiplication of this 
organism in the human body is a person brought dowTi with the 
disease. The bacillus is readily demonstrated in the spleen of those 
who die from typhoid and is eliminated in the saliva, feces, and 
urine of the sick. In the latter excretion it is known to be veiy per- 
sistent, so much so that one who has recovered may for a long time 
thereafter scatter the specific bacteria through this discharge. The 
evacuations of those not suffering from typhoid never contain the 
organism. Thus it is that a well or other water supply may be long 
polluted by dejecta without causing this disease, and may be quickly 
converted to a plague center by the advent of one stricken with it. 
Such a person is a menace to the public health, and the infection 
from him may be diffused in several ways. The simplest of these is 
by direct contact. Cases are common where those nursing the 
patient are brought low as a result of handling the discharges or soiled 
linen of the sick room, and perhaps by using the knives and forks or 
drinking cups of the sick. Sometimes the infected objects are not 
confined to the domicile of the patient. Thus in Montclair, N. J., an 
outbreak was brought about on one milk route by infection spread 
from an unreported case. The milk bottles were brought into the 
sick room, where they became infected, and were then returned to the 
dealer, who used them without sterilizing them. In consequence 



TYPHOID FEVER, CAUSES. 255 

typhoid broke out among those of his customers who took their milk 
in pint bottles, the onh" kind left at the house in question, none of the 
other customers being attacked. With the withdrawal of the supply 
the epidemic ended. It is possible for the disease to be even more 
v^^idelj' disseminated by" objects handled by the sick. In collecting 
facts in the Potomac watershed, it was reported that an epidemic had 
prevailed among the pickers in a certain peach orchard, and it is quite 
conceivable that the unclean fingers of the laborers may have infected 
the fruit, which transmitted the disease to the cities where it was 
marketed. 

Unhappily the sickness is not always severe enough to compel its 
victim to take to bed. He may go about and ease himself not at a 
single privy, but at the one nearest at hand when necessity is on him. 
Thus several unsuspected infection centers may be established. Even 
when the patient is shut up his stools may be thrown, through igno- 
rance or carelessness, without disinfection into a cesspool or privy 
or, still worse, on the bare ground. 

Typhoid is most frequently spread from the ordure of those afflicted, 
and this is accomplished by several agencies. The common house fly 
visits such matter to feed and occasionally to deposit its eggs, and, 
having accomplished the purpose, returns,* with its legs and proboscis 
bedraggled with filth, to the kitchen or pantry and tracks the infec- 
tion through the food, which then becomes the vehicle of the disease. 

This matter was thoroughly investigated b}^ the typhoid-fever 
commission of the United States Army in 1898. It was found that 
the flies alternately visited and fed on the infected stools of the soldiers 
and the food in the mess tents. More than once, when lime had been 
scattered over the fecal matter in the pits, flies with their feet covered 
with lime were seen walking over the food. Moreover, typhoid fever 
was much less frequent among members of messes who had their 
tents screened than it was among those who did not take this precau- 
tion. The disease gradually died out in the fall of 1898 in Camp 
Knoxville and Camp Meade with the disappearance of the flies, and 
this occurred at a time of year when in civil practice typhoid fever is 
generally on the increase. This was not due to the fact that all those 
susceptible to the disease had developed it, because the army at these 
places was considerably recruited at this time. It was also found 
that flies may carry infected material from soiled bedding and bed 
pans spattered with the discharge of patients. So this commission 
pointed out that the typhoid patient should be protected from the 
annoyance of this insect, not only because he will be more comfort- 
able, but in order to prevent the spread of the disease through its 
agency. 

The fly has also the habit of biting the mouth of man, who fre- 
quently moistens his lips with his tongue, and may so infect himself. 



256 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

L. O. Howard" enumerates thirteen different flies that are com- 
monly found in houses. Of these, the common house fly he finds to 
be far the most numerous." In 1900 he made a collection of flies in 
dining rooms in difl^erent parts of the country, and out of a total 
of 23,087 flies, 22,808 were Musca domestica L. — that is, 98.8 per cent 
of the whole number captured. The remainder, 1.2 per cent of the 
whole, comprised various species. The next most abundant fl}^ is 
Stomoxys calcitrans L., which is vulgarly called the stable fly. It 
differs from the house fly in that its mouth parts are formed for pierc- 
ing the skin, which the house fly's are not. It is a conmion impres- 
sion that the house fly bites. This is not true, the impression being 
given by the presence of stable flies in houses. 

Musca domestica commonly lays its eggs upon horse manure. This 
substance seems to be its favorite larval food. It will deposit upon 
cow manure, but it has been impossible to rear it in this substance. 
It will also breed in human excrement and will lay its eggs upon 
other decaying vegetable and animal matter, but of the flies that 
infest dwelling houses, both in cities and on farms, the vast proportion 
come from horse manure. Packard'' states that at Salem, Mass., he 
bred a generation in fourteen days in horse manure. The diiration 
of the egg state was twenty-four hours, the larval state from five to 
seven days, and the pupal state from five to seven days. At Wash- 
ington, Howard found that in midsummer §ach female lays about 
120 eggs, which hatch in eight hours, the larval period lasting five 
days and the pupal period five days, making the total time for the 
development of the generation .ten days. This was at the end of 
June. The periods of development vary with the climate and with 
the season, and the insect hibernates in the puparium condition in 
manure or at the surface of the ground under a manure heap. The 
adult also hibernates in houses, hiding in the crevices. The Washing- 
ton observations indicate that the larvae molt twice, and the insect 
averages, thus, thi-ee distinct larval stages. The periods of develop- 
ment were found to be about as follows : Egg from deposition to hatch- 
ing, one-third of a day; hatcMng of larva to first molt, one day; first 
to second molt, one day; second molt to pupation, three days; pupa- 
tion to issuing of the adult, five days; total life round, approximately 
ten days. There is thus abundant time for the development of 
twelve or thirteen generations in the climate of Washington every 
summer. 

The number of eggs laid by individual flies is undoubtedly large, 
averaging about 120, and the enormous numbers in which the insects 
occur are thus plainly accounted for, especially in view of the abun- 
dance and universal occurrence of appropriate larval food. 

a Circular No. 71, U. S. Dept. Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology, 
i'ldem, p. 3. 



TYPHOID FEVEK, CAUSES. 257 

Howard says that people living in agricultural communities will 
probably never be rid of the pest, but that in cities, with better 
methods of disposal of garbage and with the lessening of the num- 
bers of horses and horse stables due to the advent of automobiles and 
electric street railways, the time may come when window screens 
may be discarded. The prompt gathering of horse manure, which 
may be variously treated or kept in a specially prepared receptacle, 
would greatly abate the nuisance, and city ordinances compelling 
horse owners to follow some such course are desirable. 

During the summer of 1897 a series of experiments was carried 
out by Howard with the intention of showing whether it would be 
possible to treat a manure pile in such a way as to stop the breeding 
of flies. It was found to be impracticable to use air-slacked lime, 
land plaster, or gas lime with good results. Few or no larvae were 
killed by a thorough mixing of the manure with either of these sub- 
stances. Chloride of lime, however, was found to be an excellent 
maggot killer. Where 1 pound of chloride of lime was mixed with 
8 quarts of horse manure, 90 per cent of the maggots were killed in 
less than twenty-four hours. However, chloride of lime costs at 
least 3^ cents a pound in large quantities, so that frequent treatment 
of a large manure pile with this substance would be out of the ques- 
tion in actual practice. 

Kerosene was also tested. Hundreds of thousands of flies were 
destroyed by its use in the experiments, but it was found far from 
perfect, since if used at an economical rate the kerosene could not 
be made to penetrate through the whole pile, so that a considerable 
portion of the house-fly larvae in the manure escaped injury in this 
treatment, which was found to be so laborious that hardly anyone 
could be induced to adopt it. 

The most efficient preventive measure was found to be the prep- 
aration of a special receptacle for the manure, which was very readily 
accomplished. A closet was built in a corner of the stable nearest 
the manure pile. It had a door opening into the stable proper and 
also a window. A door was built in the outside wall of this closet 
and the hostlers were directed to abolish the outside manure pile, 
and in future to throw all the manure collected each morning into 
this closet, the window of which was furnished with a wire screen. 
A barrel of chloride of lime was put in the corner of the closet. Since 
that time every morning the manure of the stable is thrown into the 
closet and a small shovelful of chloride of lime is scattered over it. 
At the expiration of ten days or two weeks the gardeners open the 
outside door, shovel the manure into a cart, and carry it off to be 
thrown upon the grounds. This treatment has proved very success- 
ful at the stable of the United States Department of Agriculture. 



258 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

The experiments described above have reference only to the pre- 
vention of the breeding of flies in horse manure. Somewhat differ- 
ent measures are necessary to prevent them from breeding in human 
excrement. The box privy is always a nuisance from any point of 
view, and is undoubtedly dangerous as a breeder of flies. Hence box 
privies should not be permitted to exist unless they are conducted 
on the earth-closet principle. With a proper vault or other recep- 
tacle, closed except from above, the breeding of house flies can be 
prevented. Covering the refuse with lime, however, is more certain 
than the use of earth. The privy-vault nuisance is a real one, and 
no community can hope to stamp out typhoid entirely w^ithout either 
exercising the most unremitting, rigid supervision of the latrines or 
abolishing them altogether. 

Wind may also affect the distribution of infected feces. Cases are 
on record where pits have been dug for the accommodation of con- 
siderable numbers, such as soldiers in camp, and the material has 
become dried and been blown by a violent wind into food which was 
exposed. Perhaps at the same time persons were infected by inhal- 
ing the swirling dust through the mouth. 

It is known that typhoid is distributed by vegetables commonly 
eaten raw, which have been cultivated with contaminated night soil. 
Often infected privy vault or cesspool matter is used as a fertilizer 
wath disastrous results. An epidemic of typhoid fever in a Massa- 
chusetts institution was traced to the use of celery which was enriched 
with manure which was known to contain enteric feces. 

About the 1st of August, 1892, there appeared at Springfield, 
Mass., a typhoid-fever epidemic that was confined to the customers 
of one milkman, who, it w^as found, purchased his milk from several 
dairymen. On one of these farms had occurred a case of "bilious 
typhoid fever" and others of the household had been obliged to go 
to bed with "slow fever." The stools of the patients went into the 
privy, it is believed, without disinfection. It was the practice on this 
place to cool the milk by submerging the cans in a well in such a 
manner that the}^ rested on the bottom and were covered hj 2 to 4 
feet of water. As the stoppers leaked, it followed that if the water 
was polluted with typhoid germs the milk would become infected. 
It was at fu'st difficult to account for the pollution of the water, for 
the well was at some distance from the house and the water was not 
used therein. However, the construction of the well, which was an 
ordinary dug one of unusually large diameter, admitted of its being 
readily polluted from the top. The mouth was covered with a plat- 
form of old and badly worn planks, loosely laid on, with rounded 
edges bordering on wide cracks. Furthermore, the planks were sep- 
arate in order that they might be readily lifted to put the milk in the 
well to cool. The spout of the pump overhung the platform, so that 



. TYPHOID FEVER, CAUSES. 259 

careless pumping easily washed matter on the planks through the 
wide cracks into the well. Lumps of manure, evidently from the 
dirty boots of men, were on the platform, and it was foimd that 
ordinary stepping about upon the boards shook this dung into the 
well and also that a little pumping washed it in. Shortly before the 
typhoid fever broke out in Springfield, the contents of the privy 
vault before mentioned were spread upon a tobacco field, and from 
this field the laborers frequently passed to get water and to work 
about the milk. Thus fecal matter originally from the priv}^ clung to 
their boots as they worked in the field and was scraped off and shaken 
into the well as the men performed their duties about it. So the well 
water and milk were polluted and the epidemic was established." 

Milk is a medium in which the tj'phoid bacillus multiplies with 
great rapidity and contaminated milk supplies have repeatedly prop- 
agated the disease. The infection is usually brought about by a 
case of "walking typhoid" (i. e., where the patient is not confined to 
his bed) in the dairy, or the washing of the utensils or adulteration 
of the milk Avith polluted water. The infective matter is circulated 
about a dairy with such facility that the milk ordinances of cities 
forbid in the most positive ternis the delivery of milk from farms 
where the disease exists. 

In late years it has been discovered that shellfish, such as oysters 
and clams, which live in sewage-polluted water are apt to convey 
typhoid. Several occurrences of the disease have been found to be 
due to this cause. This source of tj'phoid should arouse the solici- 
tude not only of sanitarians but also of fish dealers, clam diggers, 
and oyster dredgers, who have a right to demand protection in their 
business. 

While all these factors according to circumstances play a more or 
less important role in the dissemination of typhoid, it is generally 
recognized that impure water is the principal agent in the transmis- 
sion of the disease. Every one of the bad epidemics has been indu- 
bitably traced back to polluted water, and there is not a State in the 
Union or a country in the world that does not pay its monthly toll 
of lives to contaminated water. 

Augusta, Me.; Lowell, Lawrence, and Newburyport, Mass.; New 
Haven, Conn. ; Ithaca, N. Y. ; Butler, Plymouth, and Pittsburg, Pa. ; 
Cumberland, Md.; Ashland, Wis.; Chicago, 111.; Washington, D. C, 
and man}" other places have passed through the ordeal of a water- 
borne typhoid epidemic. The supplies are always contaminated by 
the introduction of infected feces, usually suddenly, but sometimes for 
considerable lengths of time. Typhoid-fever epidemics due to impure 
water are characterized by being very limited or very widespread, 
according to whether the water is used by few or many. The former 

a Sedgwick, W. T., Ann. Rept. Massachusetts State Board of Health, 1892. 



260 THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIN. 

type pertains to well waters and the latter to city supplies of consid- 
erable size. In many well-water epidemics it is possible to draw a cir- 
cle of short radius, with the well for a center, which includes nearly all 
of the cases. That is, the victims are among those who habitually use 
the well. The onset of such epidemics is usually sudden, their period 
of extreme virulence is brief, and they have a tendency to disappear. 

When large supplies are infected the cases are distributed through- 
out the community and appear either in a desultory fashion, as the result 
of slight pollution, very likely at different' times and places, or in great 
numbers at one time, owing to the sudden introduction of a large 
quantity of pollution, which is usually effected by heavy rains or 
■rapid thaws. In the case of epidemics from large supplies the period 
of malignancy is somewhat less sharplj^ marked than in well-water 
outbreaks, but the proclivity to die out is as noticeable. 

This tendency of epidemics to run out brings us to a consideration 
of the typhoid bacillus itself, for it is manifest that if this organism is 
the cause of the disease something must have happened to it or the 
outbreak would continue indefinitely. At the outset it must be frankly 
admitted that we have not so certain a knowledge of the history of the 
bacillus in water as is desirable. Great ingenuity and much work 
have been spent in the effort to determine the longevity of the typhoid 
bacillus in water. The difficulty has-been to reproduce in experi- 
ments the conditions that surround the germ in flowing streams, wells, 
and reservoirs. Such environments appear to have been most nearly 
approximated in the methods introduced by Jordan and Zeit" and 
developed by Kussell and Fuller. '' The results of the latter investi- 
gations are as a whole concordant with those of the former, and show 
that the typhoid bacillus lives five days in sewage and eight to ten in 
water. They indicate also that the life of the bacilli is shorter when 
they are in direct contact with sewage bacteria than it is when they 
are exposed in sewage but protected from the bacteria therein. The 
experiments are so perfect that it seems justifiable to assume a life of 
ten days for the typhoid bacillus in water, but great caution should be 
exercised in generalizing further, though the results may tempt one to 
infer that the existence of the germ is but little, if at all, prolonged 
beyond the maximum period observed in the experiments. Whipple 
and Mayer*^ have by experiments suggested that the amount of oxy- 
gen dissolved in the water may have an important influence on the 
longevity of the typhoid bacillus and query whether the rapid disap- 
pearance of the germ in sewage is not in part due to the absence of 
this element. It seems to be the prevalent belief that the various 
mineral salts commonly held in solution by natural watei's neither 

a Jour. Infectious Diseases, vol 1, no. 4; Engineering Record, December 24, 1904. 
b Reports and Papers, Am. Pub. Health Assoc, vol. 21, pt. 2, p. 40. 
cReports and Papers, Am. Pub. Health Assoc, vol. 21, pt. 2, p. 76. 



TYPHOID FEVER, CAUSES. 261 

favor nor inhibit the growth of the typhoid organism. The litera- 
ture on this subject appears to be scanty, and it is suggested that here 
is a field for investigation. Thus it appears that before definite opin- 
ions as to the longevity of the typhoid bacillus can be formulated it 
will be necessary to prosecute every feasible bacteriological experi- 
ment and to carefully collate and study the facts gleaned from inquir- 
ies into epidemics. 

Although the science of bacteriology has not determined the length 
of life of the typhoid bacillus in water, it has adduced certain facts in 
regard to bacteria in general that it seems reasonable to suppose apply 
to that germ. These are: 

1. That all bacteria multiply rapidly in their natural habitat, and 
conversely that multiplication is checked elsewhere. 

2. That an abundant food supply and an optimum temperature are 
prime factors in bacterial development. 

3. That insolation has an injurious effect on bacteria. 

4. That they are slightly heavier than water and so tend to sink in it. 

5. That certain microscopic organisms, namely, algae and infusoria, 
feed on them and so reduce their numbers. 

The typhoid bacillus thrives best in the human intestine, where 
food is abundant and the temperature is high, so that its invironment 
becomes unfavorable when it is brought into water. There it has to 
compete for food with the bacteria that live in that element. The low 
temperature, the sunlight, the tendency to sink, and microscopic 
organisms all work to exterminate it. These are the natural factors 
that kill the germ and end epidemics without the intervention of 
human aid. 

In regard to the temperature of rivers, it is to be regretted that no 
measurements are available, nor have any very extended observa- 
tions been made on any American river with a delicate instrument, 
such as the thermophone. Kofoid, " however, did some careful work 
with thermometers on Illinois River from August, 1892, to March, 
1899. According to his observations, the temperature of river water 
follows an annual cycle of the same general character year after year, 
with ever present minor variations of local origin. In winter the 
water is coldest and varies least in temperature; the minimum 
observed was 32° F., the average was 32.75°, and the maximum was 
rarely higher than 34°. This constancy is doubtless due to the ice 
which normally covers the stream and especially its backwaters. 
When the temperature is below 39.2° F., the point of greatest density 
of water, the colder waters are at the surface, though there is usually 
very little difference of temperature at different levels during this 
season. In spring the temperature of the water commences to rise 

a Kofoid, C. A., Bull. Illinois State Lab. Nat. Hist., vol. 6, 1903, pp. 168 et seq. 



262 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

very early, the beginning and rate of increase depending on the pecul- 
iarities of individual years; the observations made indicate a gradual 
increase from an average of 40.45° F. in March to 60.46 ° in April 
and to 68.27° in May, which is a month not only of marked rise but 
also of considerable fluctuation in temperature. In summer the 
water is warmest and varies greatly in temperature ; the average maxi- 
mum rose fi'om 77.75° in June to 81.49° in August and fell to 74.21° 
in September. The average fluctuation during this season was less 
than 10° F., though the absolute range for August in five years was 
from 74.3° to 89°. These rises and falls, combined with the effects of 
the wind and diurnal changes in temperature, cause considerable ver- 
tical circulation of the water, because the surface waters, especially 
on still hot days, are from a fraction of a degree to 5° warmer than the 
deeper waters. In autumn the fall of temperature begins late in 
September and becomes practically complete in November; like the 
rise in spring, it is subject to u-regularities in its rate and permanence. 
The maximum and minimum observed in the river during this season 
were respectively 96° and 32° F. When the temperature of the air 
falls in autumn below that of the water the consequent convection 
of the surface and bottom layers of the river causes the water tempera- 
ture to become practically uniform at all points in the vertical section. 
These well-defined periods of minimum, increasing, maximum, and 
decreasing temperature doubtless cause in the minute organisms in 
the water corresponding seasonal changes as fundamental and as 
extensive as those that affect the plant and the animal life of aerial 
environment. 

In addition to the infiuence of season there are several minor causes 
of variation in temperature, such as the entrance of water from tribu- 
tary streams, springs, and impounded backwaters, the local shal- 
lowness of the water, and the diurnal range of temperature in the air. 
The changes produced by the entrance of water are of course indi- 
vidual and variable. The depth of the stream determines the effect 
of the temperature of the bed, though the difference between the sur- 
face and bottom temperatures of stream water is, as a rule, very 
small. The daily variations in temperature depend essentially on 
those of the air. On August 5, 1898, the temperature of the water 
near the surface varied from 79.5° F. at 5 p. m. to 74° at 2 a. m., 
while that of the water near the bottom (depth 8 feet) varied from 
74° at 8 a. m. to 76° at 11 a. m., a fluctuation of only 2° F. 

Some of the conclusions reached by Kofoid are particularly per- 
tinent to the relation of river temperature to tj-phoid fever. The 
average temperature of Illinois River in August was 81.49° F., only 
16.7° below body temperature, and the maximum observed in that 
month was 89° F., only 9.2° below body temperature. Accordingly 
it would appear that at times the bacillus of t}?phoid fever may be in 



TYPHOID FEVER, CAUSES. 263 

water at a temperature not far from the optimurn. The faict that in. 
summer the temperature causes a vertical circulation in the river 
water should be borne in mind in deciding on the efficacy of sedimen- 
tation in removing bacteria. The fact that the seasonal variations 
in temperature cause corresponding variations in the vitality of 
micro-organisms indicates that decrease of heat is of unequal moment 
at different seasons of the year in destroying bacterial life. Finally, 
it would be interesting to know whether, on account of the small dif- 
ference noted between surface and bottom temperatures, it is ever 
possible for sewage to flow a considerable distance in a river without 
mixing with the stream water. If it is, then sewage might in some 
cases flow from one citv to another and arrive in a fairly concentrated 
condition. 

With regard to the Potomac itself, it may be remarked that the 
large quantity of water received from ground flow from mountain 
tributaries and from mines all tend to influence its temperature. 

The destruction of food material in rivers apparently bears an inti- 
mate relation to temperature, as was shown by investigations on 
Illinois River and the Chicago drainage canal between Bridgeport 
and Joliet. ' ' Ordinarily in the warm weather there is a marked oxida- 
tion here with evident destruction of organic matter. This was 
shown in the investigations of 1888 and in striking degree in those of 
the summer of 1886. In the cold winter and spring months of 1889, 
on the contrary, the oxidation was slight between Bridgeport and 
Joliet, and this is probably the normal low-temperature condition."" 

It is an interesting fact that the period of minimum temperature, 
as defined by Kofoid, coincides with the months of the minimum 
prevalence of t}^hoid fever in Washington, and that the influence of 
the period of maximum temperature extends over all the months 
during which the disease is at its height except only the second half 
of October. If it be admitted that by reason of the geographic situa- 
tion of the Potomac basin the temperature of the stream remains at' 
the maximum a few weeks longer than it does in Illinois River, 
the months of the maximum occurrence of the disease fall quite 
within the period of maximum temperature. Furthermore, the 
decline of typhoid fever in autumn seems to coincide very closely 
with the fall of temperature, and the increase of typhoid fever that 
succeeds its period of minimum prevalence seems to occur near the 
end of the period of increase of temperature. This apparently indi- 
cates that it is necessary for the water to attain a rather high temper- 
ature before it reaches its most favorable condition for transporting 
the germs of tjrphoid fever. It is true that it has not been uncommon 
for water-borne epidemics of the disease to occur in early spring and 

lEgan, J. A., Pollution of the Illinois River: Sanitary Investigations of the Illinois River and its 
Tributaries, Illinois State Board of Health. 1901, p. xxiii. 



264 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

also in early winter. However, it is believed that in these cases the 
time that elapsed between the introduction of infected feces into the 
water and the lodgment of the bacilli in their victims was brief, and 
that therefore the germs were able to withstand untoward tempera- 
ture conditions to which they would have succumbed had the interval 
of exposure been longer. 

It should be remembered that, as Kofoid has determined, the tem- 
perature of a river responds very quickly to fluctuations in the tem- 
perature of the air above it. Sedgwick and Winslow" have pointed 
out that "in communities with reasonably pure water supplies the 
t}^hoid fever follows the curve of seasonal temperature with extraor- 
dinar}- regularity. If the monthly deaths from the disease be plotted 
and compared with the monthly temperatures, it will be found that 
the curves are almost parallel, the tj^phoid rising with the tempera- 
ture after about two months, an interval representing the incubation 
period of the disease and the time which elapses before death." So, 
in a measure, these river-temperature periods but reflect tj^hoid 
conditions which prevail imder like temperature conditions on land; 
and it is felt that the river temperatures act in the same direction as 
the air temperatures and play a considerable part in fostering or 
restraining the dissemination of the disease. In this connection the 
statement made hj Clark and Gage^ that in a river as polluted as 
the Jklerrimac the numbers of Bacillus coli, the common intestinal 
bacillus, are more numerous in warm than in cold weather is possibly 
significant. 

How much importance should be attributed to microscopic organ- 
isms in reducing the bacteria in water is a moot question. There 
seems to be a concurrence of opinion that they play onlj^ a minor part, 
but the matter will have to be investigated more carefully than it has 
been before the possibility of their having a considerable beneficial 
influence in this direction can be positively denied. However, it is 
certain that at some seasons of the year they are present in the water 
in very small numbers and therefore that their action is not constant. 

As water is not the normal habitat of typhoid bacilli, it is univer- 
sally admitted that their detention in that medium is of the utmost 
importance in their elimination. B3- giving the factors of insolation, 
unfavorable temperature, and reduction of their food supply an oppor- 
tunity to act through considerable time the ^-italit}" of the germ is 
reduced and its final destruction is brought about. The quicker the 
journey from intestine to intestine is accomplished the better is the 
chance for the survival of the bacillus. Now, sedimentation is recog- 
nized as potent in. delaying the germ in its travels. '^ The process is 

a Jour. New England Waterworks As.soc, vol. 20, No. 1. 1906, p. 59. 
6 Rept. Massachusetts State Board of Health, 1S92, p. 279. 
c Whipple, G. C, The Microscopy of Drinking Water, 1899. 



TYPHOID FEVER, CAUSES. 265 

a simple one in reservoirs and lakes, for it is interfered with only b}^ 
the convectional currents established by the heating of the water and 
by the very considerable circulation of the water brought about by 
the wind. But in rivers it is further complicated by the phenomena 
of transportation. " Everyone knows that the solid material brought 
to a river by various agencies does not sink to the bottom as soon as 
it reaches the stream, but is carried forward by the current. By care- 
ful experimentation some of the laws that govern this action have been 
discovered. It is well known that the power of flowing water to trans-- 
port debris increases with increasing velocity, and that the size, spe- 
cific gravity, and form of the loose material determine whether or not 
it will be moved by a current of given velocity. The smaller the divi- 
sions of any mass the larger the ratio of surface to weight, and the force 
which a current of given velocity exerts against objects in its path 
varies as the area of the opposing surface. Therefore the finer the 
particles the more easily will they be transported. But the ability of 
streams to carry debris in suspension is dependent not onl}^ on these 
factors but on the presence of secondary and especially of upward 
currents, which tend to lift up the particles brought within their influ- 
ence. Were it not for these minor currents particles would sink in a 
regular curve, whereas the path actually traveled by them is a very 
broken line, sometimes tending toward the bottom, at others toward 
the banks of the stream, and again upward toward the surface. When 
the particles finally reach the bottom they remain there only so long 
as they do not come within the influence of a current strong enough 
to lift them into circulation, which may be for either a long or a short 
period. It has been found that the change in the velocity of streams 
in horizontal planes is greatest near the shore and least near the thread 
of maximum current; and that in vertical planes it is greatest near 
the bottom and surface and least at about one-third of the depth of 
the stream — that is, where the absolute velocity is greatest. If, then, 
the water be either charged to its maximum capacity or overcharged 
with sediment, the highest percentage of material will be found near 
the banks, surface, and bottom, and the least amount at a depth of 
about one-third that of the stream. If, however, the water is under- 
charged with suspended material, as is the case with most streams, 
the distribution will not follow any law, the amount at any locality 
being dependent on the chance swirls and boils. It is an important 
fact that the transporting power of running water increases in a 
greater ratio than the increase in velocity. It has been found that if 
the surface of an object remains constant the force of a current strik- 
ing it varies as the square of its velocity; also that the transporting 
power of a current, or the weight of the largest fragment it can carry, 

a I'-ussell, Kavers of North America. 



266 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASI^T. 

vpries as tlie sixth power of the velocity. It will be seen that under 
this law doubling the velocity of a current increases its transporting 
power 64 times. An increase in the volume of a stream increases its 
velocity; hence floods multiply the transporting power of water and 
b}^ so doing acquire a destructive power which is accounted for by the 
foregoing law. 

Besides the material which a stream carries in suspension, there is 
that finely divided matter which it rolls along over its bed. This does 
not travel in sheets, but moves along in wave-like forms which have a 
long, gentle slope in the direction of the current and an abrupt drop 
on the downstream end. Thus particles which reach the bottom of a 
stream do not come to rest unless they are too heavy for the stream 
to drag along. 

From this discussion it is evident that sedimentation is profoundly 
affected by any factor which tends to quicken or retard stream flow, 
and that it is exceedingly difficult to follow material after it is once 
committed to a stream. At one time it will be in suspension, at 
another at rest. Now it may travel near the bottom, again at the 
surface, or at another time it may be deflected against the banks of 
the river. But it is evident that all these migrations take time, and 
this is what is desired to accomplish bacterial purification. Thus food 
material may become exhausted before it has traveled far down- 
stream, or some other agent may have worked considerable change in 
a few miles of river flow. 

It should be noted that sedimentation means more than the mere 
settling out of bacteria by their own weight, for other and heavier 
materials in sinking mechanicalh^ entrain the germs and drag them 
toward the bottom. This action is most effective when large quan- 
tities of silt are being rapidly deposited — that is, when the action is 
taking place in turbid waters. In relatively clear water it loses much 
of its importance. 

Rapid sedimentation is often brought about by chemical means. 
Thus, when highly acid mine waters are discharged into rivers whose 
waters contain notable amounts of lime, insoluble salts are formed, 
which sink rapidly to the bottom. As they do so they carry a large 
proportion of the bacteria with them, so that mine wastes are not 
always an unmixed evil. 

Though the Potomac is as a whole a swift river, sedimentation is 
undoubtedly active in mach of its course. Even in its upper reaches 
this force is at work, as anyone can test for himself by walking along 
the banks from Westernport to Kej^ser, where large quantities of salts 
resulting from the action of the waters of Georges Creek on the limy 
wastes of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company have been depos- 
ited on the rocks and in the shallows. In the mam^ pools in the bed 
of the river the current must necessarily be checked and deposition 



TYPHOID FBVEB, CAUSES. 267 

accelerated. Particularly important are the seven dams, which cause 
slack water for miles. In low stages of the river the water must move 
toward the dams very slowly, and they undoubtedly afford the forces 
of purification by deposition the greatest play. Some question has 
been raised whether the protection against typhoid accorded in this 
way does not contain an element of danger. Thus Sedgwick has 
noted that in Lowell and Lawrence, Mass., the summer typhoid 
occurred after sudden rises in Merrimac River caused by thunder- 
storms and the like, and has suggested that the increase of the disease 
might be partly accounted for by the fact that considerable infected 
material had collected behind the dams on the river and had been car- 
ried downstream when the water flowed over the dams in considerable 
quantities. 

This raises the important question as to what becomes of germs 
after they are deposited at the bottom of streams. If they simply 
rest there until they are again brought.into circulation by the scour- 
ing of the beds in floods and by other forces, much more importance 
has been attached to sedimentation than it deserves. But it would 
seem that the environment of the bottom of a stream must be hostile 
to germs which live in the human body. Jordan has pointed out 
that a careful examination of the bed of Illinois River failed to reveal 
any accumulation of sludge from the large amounts of sewage it 
receives, and therefore it may be concluded that the amount of avail- 
able food material for bacteria at the bottom of streams can not be 
very great. It is conceivable that the sewer of a small village might 
be made to discharge into a pool of a stream, instead of into the cur- 
rent, and so convert the pool in times of low water into a place favor- 
able for the multiplication of germs, which would be carried into 
circulation by a sudden flood, with disastrous results. But these 
factors are not generally considered of serious import as affecting the 
belief that sedimentation is one of the most powerful factors in purify- 
ing water. Rather, it is held that they operate only under special 
conditions, at rare intervals, if at all. However, the sediment of 
sewage-polluted streams would undoubtedly be a fruitful field of 
investigation. 

There has been much quibbling over the question whether the 
dilution of a severely polluted stream with the waters of a pure one 
should be considered as purification or not. It would seem that the 
result achieved is clear — namely, the chance of drinking typhdid 
germs has been lessened. In that sense there has been purification, 
but it does not necessarily mean that there has been any destruction 
of food material nor that any germs have been killed. 

The deaths from typhoid fever in the principal cities of the world 
are shown in the following table : 
IKE 192—07 18 



268 



THE POTOMAC RIVEE BASIN. 






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TYPHOID FEVER, DEATHS FROM. 



269 



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270 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

TYPHOID FEVER AT WASHINGTON, CUMBERLAND, AND MOUNT 

SAVAGE. 

When this inquiry was begun a thorough investigation of the 
typhoid-fever mortaUty was contemplated, for the ravages of this 
disease are in general caused by the contamination of water supplies 
by privies, cesspools, and sewers, and it was thought that no better 
measure of financial loss through river pollution could be had than 
the destruction of human life it caused. But it was discovered thait 
none of the four States in which the basin lies had registration laws. 
Accordingly this study had to be confined to the District of Columbia, 
where the records extend over thirty-one years. The law has been 
administered with great fidelit}^ by the health department, which has 
assembled the results with intelligence and discrimination. It is to 
be regretted that the statistics do not cover the entire period tlu"ough 
which the Potomac has been the water supply of Washington, but 
they were not collected from the troublous times of the civil war 
until August, 1874. Effective registration really began in January, 
1875, and only from that date on are the results of value. Recently 
Pennsylvania has enacted an excellent registration law and Mary- 
and has adopted one which it is hoped may prove serviceable, but 
Virginia and West Virginia have none. This i&^to be regretted, for 
the faithful registration of births and deaths more than repays its 
cost by the aid it gives in establishing property rights and in sup- 
pressing child murder. . Moreover, by the lack of vital statistics 
sanitary science is deprived of a great help in the fight against com- 
municable disease. Unless the health of a community is a matter 
of knowledge, of record, and not of hearsay, it is impossible to tell 
whether its condition is normal or whether its water supply, its milk 
supply, or some other function is deranged and diseased. It is to be 
sincerely hoped that this defect will soon be cured by wise legislation. 

At Wasliington the undue prevalence of typhoid fever has been 
caused by the public water supply, which has been taken from 
Potomac River since December, 1863,, and which was consumed 
without purification until October 5, 1905. 

Some of the other factors which have been mentioned as producing 
typhoid \indoubtedly are responsible for a part of the cases. There 
are many privies in the city, and they have in all probability been 
at times foci from which contagion spread. There are polluted wells 
which must have played their part. Cases of auto-infection were 
probably numerous. Small epidemics caused by infected milk have 
been traced to their sources, and the disease- has been, brought in 
from outside. But the typhoid has been too constant and too gen- 
erally distributed in the city to lay more than a small part of it to the ' 
door of these sporadic outbreaks. It can be accounted for only by 



TYPHOID FEVER AT WASHINGTON. 271 

an impure water supply, and it now remains to consider what scope 
the natural and artificial forces at work on the Potomac give to the 
several factors that favor or militate against bacterial life. FoodJ 
supplj'i for the germs must be plentiful, being furnished by the 
numerous sewers and privies that discharge into the river, the dis- 
tillery wastes, the rinse water from the finished goods of several 
factories, and most of the organic wastes received by the stream. 
The action of sunlight is regarded as only mildly inhibitory, but it 
has full play on the Potomac, for the water is light colored and is 
clear except during rather short periods of freshets. Moreover, 
much of the river is shallow, so that the light rays penetrate quite to 
the bottom over considerable stretches. 

In the early days of Washington the feasibility of supplying the 
city with water from the Potomac was considered, but it was not till 
1859 that water was turned into the aqueduct. It came from Dale- 
carlia Reservoir, then wholly supplied by Little Falls Branch. This 
reservoir was built with the idea of affording an opportunity for 
clarification of the water by sedimentation as it passed through. 
The same year the distributing reservoir in Georgetown was built. 
In the early days these reservoirs may have afforded considerable 
protection, but with the present daily consumption of 65,000,000 
gallons the former gives a storage of only sixteen hours and the latter 
of only twenty- three hours. In 1902 the Washington city reservoir 
was put in use and gives an additional storage of forty-five hours. 
In December, 1863, water from the Potomac at Great Falls, 14 miles 
above Washington, was received, and it has been the main supply of 
the city ever since. As there were no vital statistics kept at that 
time, it is impossible to say what effect the introduction of the sup- 
ply had on the public health. Indeed, had such records been kept 
their interpretation would demand great caution, for it was at the 
time of the civil war and the soldiers of both armies suffered terribly 
from typhoid, as may be seen from the subjoined figures taken from 
the Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. The 
figures do not include typhoid malaria, and it is to be remembered 
that the troops did not operate in the Potomac basin all the time. 
The table does not include all the troops operating in the basin, and 
some of the cases were of men who belonged to the armies cited, but 
who were temporarily detached therefrom at the time of sickness. 
However, the figures it is believed give an idea of the prevalence of 
the disease, which is all that is desired. The armies of the Confed- 
eracy are believed to have* suffered more heavily than did those of 
the Union. 



272 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 





Typ) 


wid fever in Federal Army during civil 


vat. 






Date. 




Army of the 
Potomac. 


Department of 
Shenandoah. 


Department of 
Western Virginia. 


Middle 
division. 




Cases. 


Deaths. 


Cases. Deaths. 


Cases. 


Deaths. 


Cases. L Deaths. 


July, 1861-June, 1862 . . . . 


8,228 
8,442 
1,693 


917 

1,323 

220 


735 


84 


2,766 
655 
812 


232 
79 
83 




Julv, 1862-Jime, 1863 




Julv, 1863-June, 1864 










July, 1864-June, 1865.. 








819 


281 













It is evident that the whole Potomac, drainage area was thoroughly 
seeded w^th typhoid during the war. 

Other events have had an intimate relation to the prevalence of 
typhoid fever in Washington." In 1888 there were manj'' complaints 
against the character of the water, both on account of its turbidity and 
its supposed pollution. Accordingly at that time Dalecarlia Reservoir, 
which was still fed by Little Falls Branch, was cut out of the supply 
and used only on*the rare occasions when repairs to the aqueduct 
made it necessary. This expedient does not appear to have had any 
effect on the tj^hoid death rate of the city. In 1893 it was decided 
to divert the waters of Little Falls Branch, JVIill Creek, and East 
Greek, together with other waters, from Dalecarlia Reservoir, into 
which they fed. The work was completed May 27, 1895. The 
typhoid death rate of that year was 53.7, as against 86.3 in 1894. 
The following je&v it was still lower, but it rose again in the three 
succeeding years, j^et it never has attained the figures of the years 
immediately preceding the execution of this work. 

There are probably mild outbreaks of typhoid fever at one or more 
places on the Potomac watershed every 3"ear, but two well-marked 
epidemics are on record which produced decided effects in the Dis- 
trict.'' 

The first of these was at Cumberland, Md., and was brought 
about by typhoid dejecta finding their way into Sulphur Run, 
which empties into the Potomac somewhat above the water- 
works intake. The trouble began about December 10, 1889, and was 
not quelled until the beginning of June, 1890. In all 485 cases and 
97 deaths of the disease were reported in Cumberland. The river was 
said to be in middle stage at the time, and soon after the outbreak at 
Cumberland tj^phoid appeared at Hancock, 60 miles downstream. 
Captain Gaillard'^ estimates the time of flow of water from Cumberland 
to Washington as from four to seven days, but the disease did not 
appear in unusual measure in Washington until March, 1890. The 
number of typhoid deaths continued to be-abnormally liigh after that 
until August, when it was not much above the usual number for the 
city. The following table gives an idea of the sequence of the disease: 

a Ann. Repts. Chief of Engineers U. S. Army, 1893-1895. 
6Kober, George, Medical News, April 12, 1890. 
cAnn. Rept. Chief of Engineers U. S. Army, 1894. 



TYPHOID FEVER AT MOUNT SAVAGE. 273 

Deaths from typhoid fever at Cumberland and Washington, January to July, 1890. 



Month. 



January. 
February 
March . . . 
April 



Deaths. 


Cumber- 


Wash-, 


land. 


ington. 


18 


11 


27 


6 


39 


19 


8 


11 



Month. 



May. 
June. 
July. 



Deaths. 



Cumber- Wash- 
land ington. 



13 
24 
36 



The second epidemic which is known to have produced calamitous 
results in Washington occurred at Mount Savage, Md., in 1904, and 
was studied by Dr. M. L. Price, whose report, by the courtesy of Dr. 
John S. Fulton, secretary of the Maryland State board of health, is 
made the basis of this account. Mount Savage is situated on Jen- 
nings Run, about 10 miles west of Cumberland and 185 miles above 
Washington. The town lies at an elevation of about 1,200 feet, on a 
mountain w^hose steep sides descend abruptly to Jennings Run and 
Mount Savage Run, both of which flow through the town. The 
inhabitants are mostly employees of the Union Mining Company and 
of the Cumberland and Piedmont Railroad. They live largely in tene- 
ment houses or rows, boarding houses, and cottages, which are scat- 
tered along the side of the mountain up to an elevation of several 
hundred feet above the streams. The occurrence of house epidemics 
among the Union Mining Company's laborers is favored by the general 
lack of household furnishings, which makes it necessary for one 
utensil or set of utensils to serve a whole family. In the majority of 
families one dipper is used for drinking purposes, water being taken 
from a common bucket. Cheaply constructed privies are in universal 
use and receive very little care, for every heavy rain washes the excess 
of excrement into the streams. Jennings Run is at all times grossly 
polluted by human sewage, and contains a miscellaneous collection of 
offal, dead animals, and refuse. The odor during the day is usually 
offensive, but becomes sweet whenever a heavy rain flushes the run 
and carries its filth into Wills Creek, which in turn delivers it to the 
Potomac. The water of Jennings Run is unpotable, because it is very 
heavily polluted by mine drainage, which contains free sulphuric acid 
and large quantities of iron salts, besides sulphates and carbonates of 
lime. 

The water supply of Mount Savage was obtained from 15 private 
springs and 3 artesian wells. After the epidemics broke out several 
of these were found to be contaminated and were closed by the county 
board of health. The roundhouse of the railroad company has an 
artesian well. Only one of its 125 employees had typhoid fever, and 
it is certain that he did not confine himself to the company's well. 
The brickyard spring was the only source of water known to have been 



274 



THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 



specifically polluted by typhoid dejecta, and the victims of the epi- 
demic were confined to those who drank from it. 

The outbreak at Mount Savage is interesting, for we have here a 
story which is probably repeated j^early at one place or another on the 
Potomac watershed. A number of the wells were polluted by human 
excreta, no care whatever was given to the privy vaults, and the 
stream that ran tlirough the town was abominably defiled, jet j^ear 
after year went by and Mount Savage was not scourged by any 
pestilence; but the penalty for ignorance and neglect was paid in 
full when the germs of disease were introduced into the midst of such 
conditions. 

July 4, ;Mrs. , who occupied a small house about 300 feet 

above the brickyard, on a rather steep inclme forming the north bank 
of Jennings Run, and who had just returned from nursing her brother, 
a typhoid-fever patient, at Luke, Md., was taken ill with the same 




Fig. 2. — Elevation of north bank of Jennings Run, sliowing course of drainage. 

disease. The brother probably contracted the disease m Piedmont, 

W. Va. Mrs. 's infection was evidently contracted at the same 

place or from her brother. All of the drainage from this house was 
conveyed through a 4 or 6 inch iron pipe which emerges from the 
ground and ends 40 or 50 feet below on the side of the hill (fig. 2). 
This mixed drainage found its way down the hill, a small portion of 
it reaching an open drain. A road runs along the side of the open 
drain, over a bank of fire clay above the brickyard. At the bottom 
of the fire-clay bank, a short distance from the open drain, was a 
large flowing spring, which furnished an abundant supply of clear 
water of pleasant taste and appearance and of agreeable coolness. 
The water was drunk by all of the brickyard employees, about 200 
in number. Durmg the early part of July heavy rains occurred, wash- 
ing surface impurities down the side of the mountain upon which the 



TYPHOID FEVER AT MOUNT SAVAGE. 275 

cottage was located into the spring and Jennings Run. July 

11, about one week after Mrs. 's arrival, 20 workmen from the 

brickyard reported to Doctor Murray, the company doctor, complain- 
ing of headache, backache, lassitude, and digestive disorders. The 
strict limitation of these cases to the brickyard employees and the 
similarity of their symptoms suggested a common source of infection. 
Accordingly, on the following day, July 12, Doctor Murray posted a 
notice declaring the water bad and directing the discontinuance of 
its use. Five additional men reported on this day with typhoid 
prodromata. From the railroad and other shops suppHed with arte- 
sian water no cases appeared. The brickyard men were again enj oined 
against the use of the spring, but a certain number continued to use 
it during the succeeding twelve or thirteen days. Additional cases 
were now appearing at the rate of five or six daily, and some of the 
original cases were showing unmistakable evidences of enteric fever. 
July 25 Doctor Murray effectually prevented further use of the water 
by the destruction of the spring, . mineral ashes and fire clay being 
thrown into it till it was buried several feet deep. The chemical and 
bacteriological reports of water samples drawn by Doctor Murray 
were received by this time and indicated that the brickyard spring 
was badly polluted and that other wells and springs in the town were 
polluted to a greater or less degree. Cases of typhoid fever continued 
to develop until August 10, sixteen days after the last of the brick- 
yard spring water was drunk. The destruction of this spring by 
Doctor Murray effectually removed the source of infection and ended 
the epidemic, but with the arrival of Doctor Price, August 11, other 
wise measures were taken. The most important of these had for 
their object the prevention of a secondary epidemic that might be 
caused by the spreading of contagion from the infected stools broad- 
cast through the community by means of flies. To accomplish this, 
the privy vaults were thoroughly cleaned through the cooperation of 
the Union Mining Company, which furnished horses and men to carry 
on the work. The method adopted was the digging of pits and the 
burying of the vault contents. Those contaminated springs which 
could be sealed were closed up and the water of the others was made 
imdrinkable by the use of a harmless emetic, such as copper sulphate 
or alum. In this work the Allegany County board of health was 
active, as well as in posting notices requiring the boiling of water, 
the policing of front yards, and the use of earth ashes or lime in the 
privies to cover evacuations as soon as they were passed, and in the 
appointing of district nurses to teach and secure personal prophylaxis 
in the homes. Disinfectants were used in the stools and urine of the 
sick. The extermination of the epidemic was due to the effective 
cooperation of the local physicians, Doctors Murray and Quarles, 



276 



THE POTOMAC RIVEB BASIN. 



with officials of the county and State boards of health. The results 
of this epidemic up to August 17 were as follows: 

Statistics of typhoid-fever epidemic at Mount Sarage, Md., July 4 to August 17, 1904. 

Total number of cases ; 115 

Bed cases 80 

"Walking cases" 35 

Deaths 3 

Sick August 17 40 

Convalescent August 17 72 

By August 22 five more cases had appeared, raising the total to 120. 

The health department of Washington did not learn of the epidemic 
until August 20, when it sent out warnings to boil the Potomac water. 
The step was a commendable one, but as the epidemic in Mount 
Savage was practically over at the time, it was impossible to avert 
the consequences of the early cases. The effect of the epidemic on 
Washington may be seen in the following table: 

Typhoid cases and deaths in Washington, D. C, Jive months of 1902-1904. 



Month. 


1902. 


1903. 


1904. 


Cases. 


Deaths. 


Cases. 


Deaths. 


Cases. 


Deaths. 


July 


130 
328 
290 
247 
156 


21 
39 
25 
32 
19 


. 121 
188 
138 
148 
88 


17 
26 
18 
19 
8 


101 
226 
212 
138 
104 


16 




22 


September 


25 


October 


14 


N ovember 


11 






Total 


1,151 


136 


683 


88 


781 


88 







As in 1902 and 1903, the number of cases and deaths made a sudden 
jump in August, 1904, but the September figures, unlike those of the 
two other years, remained as high as they were in August. In October, 
1904, there was a quick drop in both cases and deaths, which was not 
the case in 1902 and 1903. It is evident, therefore, that the specific 
cause of typhoid fever in Washington in 1904 was discovered and 
removed. Moreover, the prevalence of the disease was synchronous 
with that at Mount Savage, which it is known was stamped out. 
Hence it is concluded that the typhoid at Mount Savage caused that 
in Washington. 

It is interesting to note that the germs at Mount Savage must have 
gone pretty directly into the highly acid waters of Jennings Run and 
then into the acid waters of Wills Creek before reaching the Potomac. 
From this it would seem that mine waters can not be relied on to kill 
the typhoid bacillus. On the other hand it should be remembered 
that the supply of food material was probablj^ abundant in the initial 
stages of the journey of the germs to Washington, for there are two 
tanneries on Wills Creek, and the sewage of Cumberland must also 
have been available. 



TYPHOID fever: PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. 



277 



Another factor which has influenced the degree of prevalence of 
typhoid fever in Washington is that the cities and towns in the basin 
have been procuring new and pure water supphes. At many places 
the information was given during this investigation that typhoid fever 
is not common at present, but was so before the new water-supply 
system was installed. In protecting themselves these communities 
have protected others, because if typhoid fever is reduced to a mini- 
mum the privies and sewers must necessarily turn fewer of the bacilli 
into the streams. The sources of the water supplies of the most 
important places in the Potomac basin are given in the following 

table: 

' Public water supplies in the Potomac basin. 



City. 



Winchester, Va. 
Gettysburg, Pa. 



Frederick, Md. 



Leesburg, Va 

Staunton, Va 

Martinsburg, W. Va. 

Romney, W. Va 

Chambersburg, Pa . . . 



Hagerstown, Md.. 

Waynesboro, Pa.. 

Harrisonburg, Va. 

Elkton, Va 

Front Royal, Va.. 

Riverton, Va 

Hyndman, Pa 

Frostburg, Md 

Piedmont, W. Va. 
Westernport, Md.. 
Keyser, W. Va 

Greencastle, Pa. . . 



Supply. 



Berkeley Springs, W, Va 

Lonaconing, Md 

Waynesboro, Va 

Berryville, Va 

McConnellsburg, Pa 

Luray . Va 

Basic City , Va 

Moorefield, W. Va 

Mercersburg, Pa 

Strasburg, Va 

Charles Town, W. Va 

Franklin, W. Va 

Woodstock, Va 



Springs : 

do 

(Driven wells 

\Marsh Creek 

I Two deep wells 

I Big Tuscarora Creek 

) Little Tuscarora Creek 

I Fishing Creek 

(Rock spring, one-half mile northwest of town. . 

\New supply 

(Buttermilk Spring 

1 Springs northwest of city 

[Spring 

\Spring 1 mile west of city 

Springs 

East Branch Conococheague Creek 

[Diffendal reservoir and Ingram Creek 

J Raven Rock Run 

1 Warners Hollow Run 

lAntietam Creek (temporary) 

(Mountain brooks 

t....do 

I Artesian well 

\River water 

Springs 

Spring 

Buys water of Front Royal, Va 

Mountain spring 

JSprngs 

iC.ty Water Co., from artesian well and spr.ngs 

Savage Ri ver 

Buys water from Piedmont, W. Va 

Spring , 

JEshleman Spring .• , 

(Spangler Spring 

Springs 

Charlestown Run 

Bakers Spring 

Spring 

Mountain stream 

Spr ng 

do 

South Fork of South Branch 

TroutRuri 



When introduced. 



76. 



Spring 1 mile west of town. 

Spring 

Springs 



Colonial period. 

1894. 

1830. 

1893, 

1844 

1869. 

1891 

1899. 

1845, 

1905, 

1849, 

1876, 

1873, 

1903 

1871, 

1875 

1881 

1896 

1896, 

1902, 

1881 

1886, 

1897-98. 

1891. 

1892. 

1892. 
1892. 

1893. 

1896. 

1893. 

1894. 

1902. 

1894. 

1895. 

1897. 

1899. 

ISOO. 

1901. 

1901. 

1903. 

1903-4. 

1904. 



The only places of considerable size, aside from Washington, that 
use Potomac River or any of its large tributaries for a water supply 
are Moorefield, W. Va., Cumberland, Md., and Brunswick, Md. Of 
these Cumberland is the most important. In Brunswick the Potomac 
water is served to only a few and in Moorefield more people use wells 
than the water of South Fork. 



278 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

The minimum flow of the Potomac at Great Falls occurred in 1856 
and was 1,063 second feet, and the maximum, 470,000 second-feet, was 
in 1889; but there are long periods every year when the flow is 3,000 
second-feet or less. Several observers have noted that it is in the 
times of low flow that typhoid fever is rampant in Washington. This 
investigation points to the same conclusion, as is shown by the figures 
obtained from the hydrograph of the river at Point of Rocks. (See PL 
IX.) It is to be regretted that the gaging station is above Monocacy 
River, but it is unlikely that the addition of the waters of that stream 
would materially alter the results obtained and it is considered sin- 
gularly fortunate that it was possible to secure both stream gagings 
and vital statistics for the same river covering a long period. 

PI. IX shows for the years 1902, 1903, 1904, and 1905 the daily flow 
oF Potomac River at Point of Rocks, the daily deaths from typhoid 
fever in the District of Columbia, and the number of cases of typhoid 
fever reported daily at the health office of the District. The total 
deaths and the deaths from t3'phoid fever in the District from August, 
1874, to December, 1905, inclusive, are shown in the table on 
pages 281-282. 

PI. IX shows that typhoid fever is prevalent during periods of low 
water, while there are comparatively few cases in the portions of the 
year when the water is high. At first thought these results seem 
surprising, for it would perhaps be natural to expect that the periods 
of excessive typhoid would occur in flood seasons, when a great deal 
of filth and excrement are washed into the river. But one who is 
thoroughly familiar with the river realizes that it is the constant 
recipient of large amounts of fecal matter from the many sewers and 
multitude of privies that line its banks and that the scourings inter- 
mittently washed into the stream are small, indeed, compared to the 
excrement that is every day dropped into it. Therefore it is per- 
fectly natural that when this everyday defilement is concentrated in 
a small stream fiow the results should be disastrous, for at such times, 
when typhoid germs are present, the chances of one's drinking a con- 
siderable dose of them are many times multiplied. Typhoid fever is 
known to be a disease of summer and autumn, and therefore the 
bacilli are most likely to be in the stools at the very time the river is 
low. If the germs are not present, there will not be typhoid in times 
of low water. It can be seen from an inspection of the diagram (PL 
IX) that low water has occurred in winter, but that there has not 
been a large increase of typhoid following. It would be foolish to 
maintain that a rain never brings about an increase of typhoid among 
the users of Potomac water. It may do so, provided it washes in a 
large quantity of bacilli and does not at the same time bring about 
such a dilution of the water containing them that the possibility of 
drinking; them is no greater than it was before. There is an ever- 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 




DIAGRAM SHOWING RELATION OF STREAM FLOW TO CASES OF TYPHOID FEVER IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 



TYPHOID fever: TYPES OF EPIDEMICS. 279 

balancing adjustment between dilution and concentration. When- 
ever dilution is in the ascendant, the chances of drinking typhoid 
germs are reduced; whenever concentration prevails, the reverse is 
true. It is conceivable that in the case of a city ])umping water from 
a river there might be an opportunity for a small quantity of excreta 
deposited on the bank to be carried rapidly past the intake by the 
very flood that washed it into the stream, at a time when the ])umps 
were not in service or were pumping at a low rate. Thus the city 
would escape infection entirely or would feel the effects thereof only 
slightly. So it is that no rigid law can be laid down concerning the 
time at which typhoid fever may prevail at Washington, for it 
depends principallj^ on the play of three factors — the presence of. 
the bacilli in the water, the dilution of the water containing them, and 
their concentration in it. 

There are two distinct types of water-borne typhoid epidemics. 
One is illustrated in the case of New Haven, Conn., which for years 
enjoyed a pure supph^, but was suddenly overwhelmed by an epi- 
demic caused by the careless disposal of typhoid defecations on the 
watershed and their sudden precipitation into the water thereafter. 
That is, the city for years enjoyed a considerable degree of immunity, 
suddenly experienced an epidemic, and then returned to another 
period of imnmnity with the passing of accidental conditions. To 
this type the disease in Washington does not show a resemblance. 
It is more like the type described by Whipple aud Levy<^ in their 
investigation of typhoid fever in the Kennebec Valley in 1902-3. 
Here the towns which used the Kennebec water experienced a certain 
amount of typhoid for some time previous to the epidemic, which 
was severe enough to impel the citizens to an investigation of the 
conditions that surrounded them. In one respect, however, the 
prevalence of typhoid in Washington differs from that in the Kenne- 
bec Valley. There several large towns, one below another, drew 
their water supply f^om the river and sewered into it as well. The 
result was that one city passed the contagion on to another and that 
the excessive prevalence of the disease was extended from the normal 
period of three months (August to October) into nine months (August 
to April). From the danger of such a position Washington is happily 
relieved at present, for Cumberland, Md., is the onlv other large city 
in the basin that uses the polluted river as a public water supply. If 
Brunswick, Md., increases its present limited use of Potomac water, 
such increase may ])e fraught with serious consequences to Washing- 
ton. With the growth of the cities in the Potomac basin the time is 
bound to come when the springs and mountain brooks that now sup- 
ply them will become inadequate. Then they will have to turn to 
the river, and then conditions will be like those on the Kennebec. 

oJourn. New England Water Works Assoc., vol. 19, No. 2. 



280 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 






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TYPHOID STATISTICS OF WASHINGTON. 



281 



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Total 
typhoid 
deaths. 

56 
128 

114 
105 
120 
98 
95 

153 
123 
118 
153 
134 

151 
167 
188 
213 
257 

186 
216 
202 
228 
235 

148 
130 
191 
199 
220 

172 
226 
140 
135 
140 


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282 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 



In the last thirty-one years there have been 5,085 deaths in Wash- 
ington from typhoid fever, or an average of 164 a year. If the deaths 
during this time have been 10 per cent of the cases, as experience in 
man}^ places shows that the}^ usually are, there have been 50,000 
cases of typhoid fever, or an average of 1,600 a year. The table on 
pages 280 and 281 shows to what degree typhoid fever has been present 
in Washington since the disease has been reported. 

Cases of typhoid fever in the District of Columbia, 1902-1905. 



Month.. 



1902. 



1903. 



1904. 



1905. 



Tot I. 



January . . . 
February, . 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September . 

October 

November . 
December . . 



Total. 



40 
52 

48 
130 
328 
290 
247 
156 
129 



1,469 



42 
35 
39 
63 
57 
121 
188 
138 
148 



1,057 



17 
23 
41 
25 
32 
41 
101 
226 
212 
138 
104 
38 



31 

10 

23 

23 

28 

40 

123 

321 

218 

154 

82 

53 



1,106 



132 
75 
148 
127 
175 
186 
475 
,063 
858 
687 
430 
274 



4,630 



To protect the District of Columbia against so serious a menace 
a filtration plant has been built, at a cost of $3,500,000, which it is 
estimated will cost SI 00,000 a year to run. Undoubtedlj'' the expendi- 
ture is a wise one, but it is an impressive lesson in pollution. More- 
over, the end is not yet, for if the pollution is unrestrained the evil 
results therefrom will make the water more difficult to purify. This 
means that the present rates of filtration can not be maintained, 
which will add to the cost of treating the same amount of water and 
necessitate a larger plant. Common sense demands, therefore, that 
some check be placed on the extravagance of needlessly fouling the 
river, for what Washington has been compelled to do will become 
necessary for other cities in the basin. 



SUBPACE WATEBS. 283 

QUALITY OF SURFACE WATERS. 

FIELD ASSAYS. 

Inasmuch as large quantities of coal-mine water are poured into 
North Branch at sundry points along its course from Henry to Pied- 
mont, W. Va., it was deemed advisable to investigate its effect on the 
river, and the study also covered the changes wrought by the large 
quantities of lime sludge and spent lime bleach from the mill of the 
West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company at Luke, Md. 

Mine waters are characterized by large amounts of free sulphuric 
acid, sulphates of lime, magnesia, and alumina, and ferrous sulphate 
of iron. The protosulphate of iron on exposure to the air breaks up, 
with the formation of ferric hydrate and ferric* sulphate. The 
hydrate precipitates; the sulphate remains in solution. The proto- 
sulphate of iron has a very destructive corrosive action on steam 
boilers and the sulphates of lime and magnesia form hard incrusta- 
. tions on them which can be removed only at considerable expense and 
not without damaging the plates. The appearance of a stream con- 
taminated by mine water is striking and somewhat uncanny, for all 
vegetable and animal life is destroyed, and the bright, clear waters 
splash forbiddingly over the bed, which is stained yellow by the iron. 

Field assays were made from September 20 to 23 and from October 
4 to 14, 1905. The first trip covered the river from Dam No. 5, above 
Williamsport, to West Virginia Central Junction, and was not inter- 
fered with at all by the weather. The second extended from Wil- 
sonia to Piedmont, W. Va., and was very satisfactory, for there was 
no rainfall until the 11th to increase the stream flow and thereby 
change the concentration of the water, which was at low stage. 

North Branch above Henry contains but a trace of sulphates and is 
of low alkalinity. The mine water that enters at Henry through a 
little nameless run increases the sulphates in the river to such a point 
that the lumber company at Dobbin has been compelled to abandon 
the river water for boiler use. 

Between Dobbin and Wilson the tributary streams have no sul- 
phates, so that by the time Wilson is reached the sulphates have been 
diluted to 35 parts per million, and at Bayard the sulphates have all 
but disappeared and the water is suitable for boiler use. Buffalo 
Creek, which enters at Bayard, is said to be polluted by mine wastes, 
but the amount received must be small, because the water is nearly 
normal for the region. For some reason which could not be ascer- 
tained the sulphates in the river between Bayard and Gormania rise 
to 30 parts per million. Notwithstanding the fact that the run at 
Stoyer adds more mine water. North Branch at Stony River contains 
but a trace of sulphates. 
lER 192—07- — -19 



284 TSE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

It is interesting- to follow the chlorine from Bayard to Schell. The 
tanneries wash out large quantities of salt from the hides and dis- 
charge it in the soaks. Above Bayard the river contained but 6 
parts per million of chlorine. At Gormania it rose to 34 parts ; inflow- 
ing waters diluted this to 19 parts at Stony River and to 14 parts at 
Schell. Samples taken below this point were collected after a rain, 
so that the results are not comparable, but this process of dilution 
undoubtedly would have continued regularly. This is an excellent 
example of the way factory effluents may be traced in a river by 
selecting some characteristic, readily detectable salt, and following 
it downstream. 

At Schell the water of North Branch is very soft, owing to the fact 
that it has received the waters of Stony River, which are remarkably 
low in dissolved mineral substances. There is no change by the 
time it reaches a point a little above Harrison, but at this town the 
waters of Abram Creek, slightly polluted by mine water, fall in. 
From Harrison downstream, Wolfden Run, Three Fork Run, and 
Deep Rim, in order, join North Branch. All of them are polluted 
by mine water, and Deep Run, which drains the extensive Elk 
Garden coal regions, carries a heavier quota of mine waste than any 
other stream tributary to North Branch, with the exception of 
Georges Creek. Despite these additions, the river above Elk Lick 
Run, near Shaw, W. Va., does not contain an objectionable amount 
of incrusting constituents, though the total hardness is considerably 
increased. Above Savage River the total hardness becomes low 
again and the river is in good condition. The entrance of Savage 
River and of a small volume of mine water below it does not change 
the water very much, and it soon after flows over the dam of the 
West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. 

In the entire distance from Henry to West Virginia Central Junc- 
tion the tributary streams are normally low in objectionable mineral 
ingredients and by dilution counteract the mine waters which are 
poured into the river, so that the water arrives at the paper com- 
pany's dam with practically the same mineral content that it has 
above Henry. This is somewhat surprising, for prior to the investi- 
gations it was believed that the mine water was so considerable as 
to have a decidedly deleterious effect on the stream. 

A short distance below the dam the factory of the West Virginia 
Pulp and Paper Company discharges its effluent, consisting of car- 
bonate of lime, chloride of lime, and sulphate of soda, into North 
Branch. The quantity is so great that it converts the clear stream 
into a turbid, milky-white one, and the tests applied to the water 
showed the marked effect of the chemicals on it. October 14, 1905, 
the lime rose from 26 parts per million above the dam to 105 at a 
point opposite the Baltimore and Ohio roundhouse in Piedmont, the 



FIELD ASSAYS OF SURFACE WATERS. 285 

alkalinity rose from 31 parts per million to 44, the sulphates from a 
trace to 56, and the chlorine from 9 to 29. Thus the character of the 
stream is radically altered by this effluent, and it is still further 
changed by the influx of the waters of Georges Creek, which enter at 
Westernport and which are heavily charged with mine waters. The 
waters of the creek when they unite with those of North Branch 
react with the matter which it contains in suspension and solution. 
Free sulphuric acid combines with the carbonate of lime, producing a 
precipitate which makes the water roily and may be observed all 
the way from Westernport to Keyser. The iron salts, including the 
ferric sulphate, are precipitated in the form of ferric oxide. 

September 23 there were in the waters of North Branch above the 
dam at West Virginia Central Junction 26 parts per million of lime, 
18 of alkalinity, a trace of sulphates, and 9 parts of chlorine. At 
the Baltimore and Ohio roundhouse there were 130 parts of lime, 47 
of alkalinity, 117 of sulphates, 24 of chlorine, and 1 of iron. Georges 
Creek contained 288 parts of calcium, 522 of sulphates, and 54 of 
iron. One mile below Westernport, North Branch contained 130 
parts of calcium, 6 parts of alkalinity, 185 parts of sulphates, and 
2.8 parts of iron. It is evident from these results that the sulphuric 
acid combined with the carbonates represented in the test by alka- 
linity to the extent of nearly eliminating them. The sulphate of lime 
formed thereby was considerable, and the iron for the most part pre- 
cipitated out or became obscured by dilution. By following the tests 
in the table on pages 287-290, it becomes apparent that from a point 
1 mile below Westernport the alkalinity steadily increased in amount 
to Dam No. 5, being 38 parts per million 2 miles below Keyser, 46 
at the Cumberland waterworks intake, and 73 at Dam No. 5, at 
Williamsport. That is, after partial elimination the carbonates 
tended to return to the normal for the region. Moreover, the sul- 
phates dropped steadily, being 181 parts per million 2 miles below 
Keyser, 140 at Cumberland, and but a trace at Dam No. 5. 

This extensive precipitation has a potent influence on the bac- 
terial content of North Branch, for the sulphates in settling out 
entangle the germs and drag them to the bottom, thus decidedly 
improving the water. In Georges Creek the acid waters are un- 
doubtedly inimical to the bacteria and tend to destroy the organic 
matter which is so abundantly supplied to the stream at the numer- 
ous thriving mining towns in its valley. This reduces the effect of 
the pollution of North Branch at Westernport. Finally, as has 
been shown by experiments described elsewhere," the waste dis- 
charged by a soda pulp mill is a powerful germicide and an excellent 
precipitant of sewage. 

■a Leighton, M. 0., Preliminary report on the pollution of Lake Champlain; Water-Sup. and Irr. 
Paper No. 121, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1905, 



286 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

Together, these several influences effect so considerable a reduc- 
tion of the bacteria in North Branch that its water is used raw by 
the city of Cumberland with results much less evil than the gross 
pollution of the watershed would lead one to expect. While this is 
fortunate, it is to be remembered that the purification is effected by 
a number of factors acting independently of each other, without 
intent of improving the water. A diminution of the output of the 
paper mill or of the flow from the pumps at the mines would at once 
interfere with the purification and might lead to serious results. 
Fortunately, the stream flow is usually low at that season of the year 
when typhoid fever is most prevalent, so that the proportion of 
chemicals in the water is greatest when it is most needed. It is 
manifest that this quasi ptirification must be uncertain and that it 
is dangerous to depend on it. Therefore it is obvious that the city 
of Cumberland should install proper water-purification works with- 
out delay. As it is a manufacturing city, and as the sulphates in the 
North Branch water at this point are sufficient to cause some trouble 
by the formation of hard scale in boilers, it might be profitable to 
establish also a water-softening plant. The amount of iron in the 
surface and subsoil waters of North Branch above Cumberland is 
usually great enough to compel the use of casings to exclude it from 
wells which are driven for industrial enterprises. 

The field tests made on the waters of Wills Creek indicate that above 
Jennings Run the water is low in incrustants. The rvm is heavily 
polluted by mine water, and consequently raises the sulphates in 
Wills Cr,»ek sufficiently to make the water harmful for steam-produc- 
ing purposes. The assays of various springs and wells in the Wills 
Creek valley show them to differ considerably, the water in some 
being soft and in others very hard. 

The tests applied to Conococheague Creek show that a small amount 
of sulphates is usually present and that the water has a varying 
amount of temporary hardness, which is more marked in the waters 
of West Branch than in those of the main stream. 

The headwaters of the Monocacy about Gettysburg, Pa., to wit, 
Rock Creek, Marsh Creek, Stevens Run, and Willoughby Run, show 
different characteristics by the field tests. Marsh Creek water is the 
softest and gives more satisfaction in Gettysburg for boiler use than 
those from the deep wells, all of which are corrosive and high in 
incrustants. Some of these wells will very likely soon be abandoned 
on account of these bad qualities. 



FIELD ASSAYS OF SURFACE WATEES. 



287 



Field assays of waters in Potomac River basin. 
[Parts per million.] 



Stream. 



Silcott Run at Wilsonia, W. Va 

North Branch Potomac River 
above Henry and above creek >>, , . 

Creek at Henry, W. Va.c 

Elk Run near mouth 

North Branch Potomac River 
above dam at Dobbin, W. Va 

Pond on run that supplies Dobbin 
sa^vmill 

Spring at Dobbin, W. Va., east of 
saflTiiill and West Virginia Cen- 
tral and Pittsburg R. R. track... 

Laurel Creek northwest of Dobbin, 
W. Va 

Red Oak Run at Wilson, W. Va.d . 

North Branch Potomac River at 
Wilson, W. Va., below Red Oak 
Run 

Sand Run, Md., opposite Wilson, 
W. Va 

North Branch Potoma.c River at 
Bayard, W. Va., above Buffalo 
Creek 

Buffalo Creek at Bayard, W. Va . . . 

North Branch Potomac River at 
Bayard, below Buffalo Creek and 
tannery 

J. G. Hoffman & Sons Co.'s drilled 
well at Gormania, W. \'a,.d 

North Branch Potomac River 
below highway bridge at Gor- 
mania, W. Va 

North Branch Potomac River « 

Nydegger Run at Gorman, Md 

Glade Run at mouth 

Run at Stoyer, Md 

Difficult Run at mouth 

North Branch Potomac River 
short distance above Stony River. 

Stony River, W. Va. , at mouth 

North Branch Potomac River 
above Laurel Run and opposite 
Schell, W. Va 

Laurel Run at mouth 

Lostland Run near mouth 

North Branch Potomac River 
above .\bra.m Creek 

Abram Creek at mouth 

Wolfden Run, Md. / 

Three Fork Run, Md., northeast of 
Harrison, W. Va 

Deep Run at Shaw, W. Va./ 

Howell Run at Sha w, W. Va 

North Branch Potomac River 
above Elk Lick Run, Md 

Elk Lick Run northeast of Shaw, 
W. Va 

North Branch Potomac River 
above Savage River 

Savage River near mouth g 

Savage River, tap in Kenny House, 
Piedmont, W. Va 

Savage River near mouth 

North Branch Potomac River 
above West Virginia end of dam 

at Luke, Md 

Do 



Date. 



Oct. 4,1905 



.do. 
.do. 
.do. 



.do. 
.do. 

.do. 

.do. 
.do. 

.do. 
.do. 



.do., 
.do.. 



.do. 



Oct. 9, 1905 



Oct. 10,1905 
Oct. 6,1899 
Oct. 9, 1905 
Oct. 10,1905 
Oct. 8,1905 
....do 



.do., 
.do.. 



.do. 
.do. 
.do. 



Oct. 12,1905 

.-..do 

....do 



.do... 
.do... 
.do... 



.do. 
.do. 



Oct. 14,1905 
Apr. 5,1905 

Oct. 3,1905 
Oct. 14,1905 



Sept. 23, 1905 
Oct. 14,1905 



10 
10 
60 

10 

140 

5 

15 

5 

10 

5 



Trace. 

Trace. 
119 


67 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 
Trace. 

32 
Trace. 



24 
Trace. 



28 
47 



55 

41.04 
26 
26 
39 
Trace. 

26 




Trace. 

Trace. 



Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 

119 

Trace. 

Trace. 

23 

'24 


27 
Trace. 



26 
26 



259 

24 

38 
15 

22 



17 
17 

18 
8 

19 
143 

35 



21 
18 
14 

13 

13 

Acid. 

24 

Acid. 

28 



22 
90 
12 

51 

12 



49 
128.2 
27 
22 
32 
32 

27 
12 



12 
18 
10 

18 
32 
66 



Trace. 

155 



77 





Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 




33 
22 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 


Trace. 



Trace. 



Trace. 

Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 

273 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 



Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 
Trace. 



34 
28.7 

4 

4 

6 

9 

19 



a Parts per million of CaCO^ required to neutralize the acidity. 
b Contaminated by mine water. 
c Receives much mine water. 

d Cased 30 feet to keep out iron-bearing water, which is said to be found 10 to 20 feet below surface of 
the ground in North Branch of Potomac valley above Cumberland, Md. 
e .Analysis by Prof. J. W. Mallet. 
/ Polluted by mine water. 
s Assay by S. J. Lewis. 



288 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIK. 

Field assays of waters in Poioviac River basin — Continued. 



Stream. 



Date. 



North Branch Potomac River 
above pulp mill at Luke, Md.a 

North Branch Potomac River 
opposite Baltimore and Ohio 

roundhouse, Piedmont, W. Va 

Do 

North Branch Potomac River at 
Piedmont, W. Va.* 

Georges Creek at mouth. 

Do 

Do 

Do.i 

North Branch Potomac River, 
West Virginia side, 1 mile below 
Westernport, Md 

North Branch Potomac River, 
Maryland side, 1 mile below West- 
ernport, Md, 

North Branch Potomac River, 
West Virginia side, 2.J miles below 
Westernport , Md 

North Branch Potomac River, 
West Virginia side, 1 mile above 
Keyser, W. Va 

North Branch Potomac River at 

Keyser, W. Va.a 

Do 

New Creek o I mile above mouth 

New Creek at mouth 

Keyser city supply (impounded 

spring water) 

Do 

North Branch Potomac River be- 
low Keyser, W. Vaa 

Doa 

Do a 

North Branch Potomac River at 
Baltimore and Ohio R. R. bridge 
21, Maryland side, 2 miles below 
Keyser 

North Branch* Potomac River 
above Cimiberland, Md 

North Branch Potomac River (hy- 
drant in Cumberland, Md.) a 

North Branch Potomac River, at 
Ridgely above Cumberland wa- 
terworks intake i 

North Branch, Potomac River, at 
Cumberland waterworks intake. . 

North Branch Potomac River, 300 
feet below dam at Cumberland, 
Md.b 

North Branch Potomac River 
above sewage outfall at South 
Cumberland i 

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal at lock 
above Dam No. 5, where canal en- 
ters river 

North Branch Potomac Kiver be- 
low Dam No. 5 

Kilmer Spring, public water sup- 
ply, Martinsburg, W. Va.!> 

Public water supply, Hyndman, Pa. 

Wills Creek west of Hyndman, F&.i 

Wills Creek, 100 yards below tan- 
nery i 

Wills'Creek at Corrigan\alIe b 

Jennings Run at mouth " 

Braddock Run at narrows i 

Wills Creek at Cumberland >> 

Wills Creek, west side, 2,000 feet 
above mouth a _ 



July 14,1899 



Sept. 23, 1905 
Oct. 14,1905 

Apr. 4, 1905 

do 

Sept. 23,1905 
Oct. 14,1905 
July 14,1899 



Sept. 23, 1905 
Oct. 14,1905 
Sept. 23,1905 
do 



Apr. 27,1905 
Sept. 23,1905 
July 14,1899 
Sept. 23, 1905 

Apr. 27,1905 
Sept. 23, 1905 



Sept; 23, 1905 
,1899 



Apr. 4, 1905 
Sept. 22, 1905 

.\pr. 3, 1905 

Apr. 4,1905 

Sept. 20, 1905 
do 



Aug. 14,1905 
Apr. 7, 1905 
Apr. 8,1905 

Apr. 9, 1905 
Apr. 4, 1905 

do 

do 

Apr. 3, 1905 

July 15,1899 



462 



130 
105 



73 



228 
129. 54 



130 



126 

133 

73 
130 

45.08 
123 

261 • 
179 



78.6 
63.1 



130 
56 
31.12 

55 
123 



126 




Trace. 

63 

30 
110 



47 
44 



40 
Acid. 



19 



128 



171 
211 



38 



20 
46 



205 
7 
10 

15 

25 

Acid. 

35 



90 



104 



113.7 



156 
200 
156 



171 
128.5 

118 



35 



168. 6 



117 
50 

10 
410 
522 
359 
502 



185 
115 
1.S.5 



159 

20 

Trace. 

15 
Trace. 

202 
406 
290 



151 
206 
110 



4.6 



14 
19 

19 

9 
19 

32.4 
39 

9 
4 

11.9 
22.6 
20.3 

19 

12.1 

13.6 



117 ! 14 

i 
9 

68 



33 j 15 

Trace. \ 9 

I 27 

: 7 

Trace, i 9 



Trace. 
10 



239 79 
10 : 9 



245 ' 41.7 



1 .Analysis by Prof. J. W. Mallet. 



b Assay by S. J. Lewis. 



FIELD ASSAYS OF SURFACE WATERS. 
Field assays of waters in Potomac River basin — Continued. 



289 



stream. 



Bradigans well, 20 feet deep, 1 mile 
northeast of Foley, Pa.a 

Becks spring I mile east of Foley, 
Fa.o 

Shaffers Run at Fairhope, Pa., i 
mile above Wills Creek a 

Spring at Fairhope, Pa., south side 
of road 30 feet above Wills Creek ". 

Gooseberry spring at Hoblitzell, 



Pa. o. 



Spring on west bank Wills Creek op- 
posite brick factory a 

Spring on top Wills Mountain, 
piped to Shaffer's house, 2 miles 
east of Hyndman, Pa.o 

Anthony Shaffer's well, 1^ miles 
east of Hyndman, Pa., at String- 
town.a 

Spring i mile from Cooks Mills, Pa.a 

Emrich's well at Cooks Mills, Pa. . . 

Spring 1 mile west of Cooks Mills, 
Pa.a 

Well 112 feet deep at Spangler Hotel, 
Hancock, Md 

Great Tonoloway Creek at Na- 
tional Road between Hancock 
and Millstone, Md 

Licking Creek at National Road be- 
tween Millstone, Md., and Big 
Pool,Md 

Conococheague Creek above Wolf 
Co.'s dam, Chambersburg, Pa... 

Falling Spring Rim above mouth. . 

Conococheague Creek below Ger- 
big's soap factor}', Chambers- 
burg, Pa 

Conococheague Creek, tap in Wash- 
ington Hotel, city supply 

Conococheague Creek, 1 mile west of 
Greencastle, Pa 

Greencastle, Pa., public supply, tap 
in National Hotel, supply from ^ 
springs ; 

Trout Run at Mercersburg Water 
Co.'s Reservoir 1 mile north of 
Foltz, 24 miles east of Mercers- 
burg, and above Dickys Run 

West Branch of Conococheague 
Creek 

Dickys Run near mouth 

West Branch of Conococheague 
Creek 3 miles southeast of Mer- 
cersburg, Pa., below Dickys Run. 

Licking Creek near mouth 

Conococheague Creek near mouth. . 

Stevens Run at Gettysburg, Pa 

Rock Creek lielow CuJps Run, Get- 
tysburg, Pa 

Marsh Creek below Gettysburg Wa- 
ter Co.'s intake 

Willoughby Run at Gettysburg, Pa. 

Mountain stream 1 mile west of Mc- 
Connellsburg, Pa., public supply. . 

Cove Creek at west end of McCon- 
nellsburg. Pa 

Little Antietam Creek west of 
Waynesboro, Pa 

Waynesboro, Pa., public supply 
above dam of Waynesboro water 
Co., atconduence of Rattlesnake 
Run and East Branch Antietam 
Creek 



Apr. 8. 1905 

....do 

....do 

....do 

.-..do 

....do 



Apr. 7, 1905 



.do. 
.do. 
.do. 



....do 

Apr. 18,1906 

....do 



.do. 



Sept. 15,1905 
do 



do 

Sept. 16, 190.5 
Sept. IS, 1905 

do 



Sept. 17,1905 

Sept. 16,1905 
do 



do 

do 

Sept. 20,1905 
Sept. 9,1905 

do 



.do. 
.do. 



Sept. 17, 1905 

do 

Sept. 12, 1905 



55 




82 
Trace. 



228 
20 
146 

173 

142 

Trace. 



46 
186 



35 
110 



Trace. 



113 

71 



90 

94 

96 

200 



100 

Trace. 

137 

137 



.do. 



44 
12 
13 
17 
62 
14 

20 

152 
29 
44 

187 

115 



58 
f>178 



56 
118 

202 



6 127 
208 



6 98 

132 

b 108 

204 

91 

6 41 
106 

27 

158 

b 194 



b 21 



90 



18 




Trace. 

Trace. 



24 
6 
30 

6 

108 

Trace. 

Trace. 


Trace. 

Trace. 



Trace. 

Trace. 



Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

36 

Trace. 

Trace. 
Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 



129 



4.5 



Trace. 


Trace. 




Trace. 





0.5 




0.0 
Trace. 



0.0 

Trace. 

0.0 

0.0 

0.5 

0.5 
0.5 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

0.0 

2.5 

Trace. 
0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 



Trace. 



a Assay by S. J. Lewis. 



6 Alkaline carbonates, 21 parts per million. 



290 THE POTOMAC KIVEK BASIN. 

Field assays of waters in Potomac River hasin — Continued. 



Date. 



East Brancli Little Antietam 
Creek east of WajTiesboro, Pa. - . 

Spanglers Spring at Gettysburg, 
Pa 

AVell of Gettysburg Brick Co. at 
Gettysburg, Pa 

Well of Gettysburg Transit Co. at 
Gettysburg, Pa 

Well of AVestern Maryland R. R. at 
Gettysburg, Pa 6 

Steam laundry dug well at Gettys- 
burg, Pa 

Gettysburg Water Co.'s Well No. 
1, Gettysburg, Pa 



Sept. 12, 190.5 
Sept. 9,1905 

do 

do 

do 

Sept. 10, 1905 
Sept. 9,1905 



28 
39 
218 
200 
123 
72 
23 



151 

85 

250 

173 

291 

79 

41 







Trace. 
110 

Trace. 

Trace. 



4 
9 
14 
29 
258 
29 
9 



Trace. 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.5 
0.0 
0.0 



a Alkaline carbonates, 21 parts per million. 



b Magnesium present. 



SANITARY AND MINERAL ANALYSES. 

By Raymond Outwater. 

Numerous chemical analyses of the waters of the Potomac have 
been made during the course of this investigation, and the results are 
given in the accompanying table. It is very difficult to draw defi- 
nite conclusions of a general nature from these sanitary analyses. 
Inspection of the various places on the river and its tributaries points 
to a considerable pollution at practically all of the places examined 
and the chemical analyses confirm the inspections. Evidences of 
pollution can, in some instances, be seen in the main stream after 
pollution has entered it ; yet chemical analysis does not indicate that 
the water is much more polluted at Great Falls than at many points 
farther up the river and on its tributaries. 

The tap water was collected in the McKinley School of Manual 
Training. The water supplied to this building flows from the river 
to the Dalecarlia Reservoir, thence to the distributing reservoir in 
Georgetown, and thence to the Washington City Reservoir, from 
which it flows by gravity through the street mains to the laboratory. 
None of the water supplied to Washington during the progress of the 
chemical examination was filtered. 

A study of the analyses leads to the following conclusions : 

1. The variations in the amount of each component have been 
considerable, and these are to a certain extent unaccounted for. 

2. A certain proportion of the variations can possibly be accounted 
for by the variation in the rainfall. 

3. If these analyses are of accuracy equal to those obtained by 
previous investigations they indicate that the river has become more 
impure, the figure for required oxygen being the only one which 
shows a decrease. 



SANITARY ANALYSES OF SURFACE WATERS. 291 

The mineral analyses which were made represent the main stream 
and all of the principal tributaries, and it is believed that they give 
an insight into the chemical denudation of the basin. The purpose 
of these analyses was to determine the amount and the nature of the 
dissolved mineral matter. The water was filtered through a Pasteur- 
Chamberland filter; measured quantities were then evaporated 
nearly to dryness in porcelain vessels, after wliich the evaporation 
was completed in platinum dishes. The residue thus obtained was 
treated with hydrochloric acid and twice evaporated to dryness, 
after wliich it was redissolved in hydrochloric acid and the silica 
was separated by filtration, ignited, and weighed. The residue left 
after treatment with hydrofluoric acid was added to the "iron and 
alumina." The filtrate from the silica was diluted to 200 c. c. and one 
portion of 100 c. c. was taken for the estimation of iron and alumina, 
calciuni, and magnesium, and the other portion for the estimation 
of sulphuric acid, sodium, and potassium. This method of determin- 
ing sodium and potassium is preferable to the common one of sepa- 
rating sodium and potassium in the filtrate from the magnesium. 
It is unnecessary to detail the methods, which may be found in 
standard text-books on quantitative chemical analysis. 

Some interesting facts are brought out by comparing the flow of 
the Potomac with the analytical results. For this purpose, the gage • 
readings at Point of Rocks, Md., 7 miles above the Monocacy River, 
were used, no gage being maintained by the United States Geolog- 
ical Survey below this point. As most of the analyses were of sam- 
ples from the Wasliington city taps, which are fed with water diverted 
from the river at Great Falls, the results are not strictly accurate, 
but they are approximately so. 

The average flow of the Potomac at Point of Rocks for 1905 was 
calculated from observations made by the United States Geological 
Survey and was found to be 7,534 second-feet. As the weight of a 
cubic foot of water is 28.3 kilograms (62.4 pounds), this is equal to 
213,212 kilograms per second. Calculating the total amount of 
water flowing past this point from the average, we have for the year 
6,724,000,000,000 kilograms or liters. From the figures on analyses 
we have: Total solids in the unfiltered water, 146.1 parts per million; 
total solids in solution, 114.6 parts; in suspension, 31.5 parts; from 
which we find that the following amount of material is carried past 
this point in the course of a year: Total solids, 982,000,000 kilograms; 
in solution, 771,000,000 kilograms; in suspension, 212,000,000 kilo- 
grams; or, in solution, 850,000 tons; in suspension, 234,000 tons. 

The drainage area of the Potomac above Great Falls is 11,400 
square miles. By comparing this area with the amount of material 
being carried down in suspension and in solution, the following figures, 
showing the average amount of solid material being carried off annually 



292 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN". 



from each square mile of territory in the Potomac basin, are obtained: 
In solution, 74.4 tons; in suspension, 20.5 tons; total, 94.9 tons. 



Sanitary analyses of surface water in tJte Potomac basin. 
[Parts per million.] 



Stream. 



North Branch Potomac 
River above Bayard. 

Buffalo Creek at mouth 

North Branch Potomac 
River above Gormania. 

North Branch Potomac 
River below Gor- 
mania "■ 

Do 

Abram Creek at mouth. . 

North Branch Potomac 
River above 
River 

Savage River 

North Branch Potomac 

River above mill of 

West Virginia Pulp 

and Paper Co. at Luke. 

Do 

North Branch Potomac 
River below mill of 
West Virginia Pulp 
and Paper Co. at Luke. 

Georges Creek at West- 

ernport 

Do 

North Branch Potomac 
River between Keyser 
and Piedmont 

North Branch Potomac 
River below mill at 
Keyser 

New Creek i mile above 
mouth a 

New Creek at mouth 

North Branch Potomac 

River below Keyser ".. 

Do 

North Branch Potomac 
River above Cumber- 
land 

Do 

Hydrant in Cumberland 

Cumberland water sup- 
ply 

Wills Creek above Jen- 
nings Run 

Jennings Run at mouth 

Braddock Run at Alle- 
gany Grove 

Wills "Creek above dam 
of United States 
Leother Co., Cumber- 
land 

Wills Creek above Balti- 
more Street Bridge, 
Cumberland 

Wills Creek 100 yards 
above dam at mouth " 

Patterson Creek at 
mouth 

North Branch Potomac 
River at Greenspring. 

South Branch Potomac 
River at Franklin 
above tannery 

North Fork of South 
Branch Potomac River 
above South Branch. . 



Date. 



Feb. 27,1905 
....do 

Feb. 25,1905 



Oct. 6, 1899 
Feb. 25.1905 
Feb. 27,1905 



Feb. 25,1905 
...do 



July 14,1899 
Feb. 25,1905 



...do 

July 14,1899 
Feb. 25,1905 



.do. 



.do. 



Nitrogen as — 



Re- 
quired Albu- 



o.'fy- 
gen. 



1.65 
1.70 



2.15 



26.42 

1.95 

.85 



.80 



7.76 
1.45 



3.20 



13.05 
2.35 



2.35 



July 14,1899 11.26 
Feb. 25,1905 , 2.80 



,1899 . 
,1899 !. 



,1899 
,1899 
July 15,1899 23.^ 



Dec. 29,1904 

Dec. 27,1904 

Dec. 29,1904 

Dec. 27,1904 



Dec. 30,1904 



.do. 



July 15,1899 
Feb. 13,1905 
Feb. 10,1905 

Mar. 11,1905 

Mar. 12,1905 



7.45 

4.60 
1.75 

1.70 

8.95 

13.95 
32.476 
.45 
2.10 

1.70 

1.75 



minoid 

am- 
monia. 



0.16 
.06 



Free 
am- 
monia. 



.676 

.13 

.15 



.15 
.06 



.234 

.18 



.09 



.446 
.06 



.06 



.09 



.371 
.46 



.483 

.295 
.397 
.374 

.32 

.17 
.08 

.28 

.74 

.66 
.909 
.05 
.35 

.29 

.17 



0.12 
.05 



.07 



.182 

.06 

.19 



.02 

Trace, 



.154 
.09 



.05 



.591 
.51 



.06 



.137 
.30 



.054 
.081 



.075 
.142 
.163 



.03 
.44 

.06 

.52 

.40 

.827 

Trace. 

.27 

Trace. 

.01 



Ni- 
trites. 



Ni- 
trates 



Trace. 
Trace. 



.002 



.023 
Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 




Trace. 



.011 
Trace. 



Trace. 2.50 



.069 .933 
.004 I 2.50 



3.00 
1.50 



1.25 



.261 
2.00 
2.50 



3.00 
3.00 



.171 
2.50 



3.00 



1.422 
2.50 



2.5 



2.31 
.74 



I 2.86 

1.09 

.005 ; .219 

Trace.' 1.20 

Trace.' .80 
Trace. \ .80 

Trace. 1.00 



.002 

.004 
.008 



.80 

.90 

.257 

1.00 

2.00 

1.12 

1.00 



Unfiltered water. 



Chlo- 
rine. 



28.7 
9 
5 



4.6 
15 



25 



10.1 
17 



11.0 



32.4 
22 



11.9 
22.6 



12 

20.3 

13.6 

5.0 

15 
20 

14 



17 
41.7 
8.0 
14.5 

3.50 

2.5 



Total 
resi- 
due. 



311.6 
46 
47 



23 
32 



57 



448 

1013 
1057 



145 



189 



218.8 
233 



452 
853 



491.8 

658 

276.5 

126 

82 
632 

115 



147 

224 
372.5 
142 
219 

85 

83 



„^°?f! Total 
"".j'^lhard- 
tion. I 'less- 



140.7 
17 
26 



25.5 

18 



177 



222.6 
442 



50 



60 



194.5 
368 



220.8 
315.4 
104.9 



38 
243 

33 

38 

60 

135.2 
55 
63 

35 

25 



o Analysis by Prof. J. W. Mallet. 



SANITAEY ANALYSES OF SURFACE WATERS. 293 

Sanitary analyses of surface water in the Potomac hasin — Continued. 



Stream. 



Date. 



Re- 
quired 
oxy- 
gen. 



South Branch Potomac 
River above Peters- 
burg 

Mill Creek, Hardy Coun- 
ty, W. Va 

South Branch Potomac 
River below Peters- 
burg 

South Branch Potomac 
River above Moore- 
field 

Moorefield River above 
tannery at Moorefield . 

Moorefield River below 
tannery at Moorefield 

South Branch Potomac 
River below Moore- 
field 

Mifl Creek at Romney . . . 

South Branch Potomac 
River above Romney. . 

Cherry Run at Romney . 

South Branch Potomac 
River at mouth 

Potomac River below 
South Branch 

Potomac River above 
Pawpaw 

Potomac River below 
Pawpaw 

Potomac River above 
Great Cacapon River. . 

Great Cacapon River at 
mouth 

Potomac River below 
Great Cacapon River. . 

Warm Spring Run 

Conocoeheague Creek 
above Chambersburg. . 

Conocoeheague Creek 
below Chambersburg.. 

West Branch of Conoco- 
eheague Creek above 
Dickj's Run 

West Branch of Conoco- 
eheague Creek below 
Dickys Run 

Back Creek above Wil- 
liamson 

Back Creek below Wil- 
liamson 

Conocoeheague Creek he- 
low Back Creek 

Conocoeheague Creek be- 
low junction with 
West Branch 

Potomac River above 
Conocoeheague Creek. . 

Potomac River below 
Conocoeheague Creek. . 

Opequon Creek above 

Abrams Creek 

Abrams Creek 

Opequon Creek below 

Abrams Creek 

Opequon Creek above 
Tusoarora Creek 

Tusoarora Creek , 

Opequon Creek near 

mouth 

Potomac River above 

Opequon Creek 

Potomac River below 

Opequon Creek 

Potomac River above 
Antietam Creek 



Mar. 10,1905 
....do 



.do. 



do 

Mar. 9, 1905 
do 



Mar. 10,1905 
Mar. 13,1905 

do 

do 

Feb. 10,1905 

do 



Nitrogen as — 



Albu- 
minoid 

am- 
monia. 



Free 
am- 
monia. 



.do. 
.do. 



Feb. 12,1905 
....do 



....do 

Feb. 10,1905 

Mar. 31,1905 

do 

Apr. 1,1905 

do 



Mar. 31,1905 
do 



do 

Apr. 1, 1905 



Feb. 18,1905 
do 



.do. 



Feb. 17,1905 
do 



.do. 
.do. 



do 

Jan. 17,1905 



1.85 
2.10 

1.95 

2.00 
1.90 
2.40 

2.10 
1.65 

1.30 
1.70 

1.15 

1.15 

1.30 

2.20 

.90 

1.35 

.70 
.50 

.40 

.50 

.65 

.70 

.25 

2.10 

.60 

.55 

.50 

.50 

.40 
2.25 

2.05 

.45 
1.50 

.70 

.40 

.90 

3.33 



0.31 
.17 



.14 

.08 
.22 
.16 
.13 

.12 
.12 

.17 

.10 
.19 

.17 

.04 

.46 

.11 
.12 
.10 
.25 



0.03 
.03 

.07 

.03 
.02 
.01 

.03 
.03 

.03 
.03 

Trace. 

Trace. 

.09 

.10 

.01 

.08 

Trace. 
.08 

.03 

.03 

.02 

.01 
.02 
.04 
.05 

.02 

.02 

.03 

.01 
.03 

.04 

.03 

.07 

.03 
.10 
.03 



Ni- Ni- 
trites. Itrates. 










Trace. 
Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 
.004 
.004 

Trace. 




.012 


Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

.008 
.016 

.012 

.004 
.128 

.024 

.004 

.024 

Trace. 



Chlo- 
rine. 



1.25 
1.30 

1.25 

1.25 
1.50 
1.25 

1.50 
1.25 

1.25 
1.40 

2.00 

2.00 

2.00 

2.00 

.88 

1.00 

.75 
2.25 

1.00 

4.00 

3.00 

3.50 
2.00 
3.50 
5.00 

2.50 

2.25 

2.75 

2.50 
5.00 

2.75 

5.00 
5.00 

5.50 

2.50 

2.75 

1.00 



Unfiltered water. 



Total 
resi- 
due. 



Loss 
on ig- 
ni- 
tion. 



4.0 
3.5 

3.0 

2.5 
4.5 
4.0 



3.5 
4.5 



3.0 

7.5 



7 
8.1 



14 



3.5 



4.5 

5.0 
4.5 
5.5 
5.5 

5.0 
4.0 
7.0 

9 

17 

15 

19 
17 

12 

13 

20 

8.5 



Total 
hard- 
ness. 



171 
199 

220 

276 
258 
471 

498 
119 

98 
93 

120 

127 

156 

176 

162 

108 

94 
181 

135 

233 

159 

127 
101 

77 
222 

115 

104 

165 

271 
334 

305 

303 
328 

284 

178 

164 

185 



26 



49 
57 
54 
37 

35 

S3 

93 

147 

31 

43 
40 
66 



16 

33 

121 
140 

25 

62 
129 

56 

87 

22 

22 



55.9 
66.2 

50.0 

47.0 
47.0 
44.1 

60.3 
50.0 

55.4 
35.3 

123.2 

121.7 

127.9 

157.6 

135.7 

82.7 

93.6 
165.4 

47.0 

91.0 

130.8 

105.8 
126.4 
129.4 
192.6 

137.6 

47 

125 

276.1 
224.9 

157.3 

280.8 
305.8 

266.4 

123.5 

210.2 

93.2 



294 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN". 



Sanitary analyses of surface water in the Potomac lasin — Continued. 



Stream. 



Antietam Creek at 
mouth 

Potomac River below 
Antietam Creek 

Nortli River above 
Cooks Creek 

Blacks Creek 

North River below 
Cooks Creek 

Middle River above 
Lewis Creek 

Lewis Creek near mouth. 

South River above Basic. 

South River laelow Basic. 

South Fork of Shenan- 
doah River above Elk 
Run 

Elk Run 

South Fork of Shenan- 
doah River below Elk 
Run..; 

South Fork of Shenan- 
doah River above 
Hawksbill Creek 

Hawksbill Creek above 

Luray 

Do 

Hawksbill Creek below 
Luray 

South Fork of Shenan- 
doah River below 
Hawksbill Creek 

South Fork of Shenan- 
doah River at Riverton 

North Fork of Shenan- 
doah River above Pas- 
sage Creek 

Passage Creek 

North Fork of Shenan- 
doah River below Pas- 
sage Creek 

Happy Creek 

Shenandoah River below 
confluence of North 
and South forks 

Evitt Run 

Flowing Spring Run .... 

Shenandoah River at 

mouth 

Do 

Do 

Potomac River above 

Shenandoah River 

Do 

Do 

Potomac River below 

Shenandoah River 

Do 

Catoctin Creek, Md 

Catoctin Creek, Va 

Monooacy River above 
Carroll Creek 

Carroll Creek above 
Frederick 

Carroll Creek near mouth 

Monocacy River below 
Carroll Creek 

Monocacy River at 

mouth 

Potomac River above 

Monocacy River 

Do 

Potomac River below 

Monocacy River 

Do....". 

ftoose Creek 

Seneca Creek 

Calvin Run 



Date. 



Re- 
quired 
oxy- 
gen. 



Jan. 17,1905 
do 



Jan. 28,1905 
do 



.do. 



....do , 

....do 

Jan. 25,1905 
....do 



Feb. 4, 1905 
do 



.do. 



Jan. 26,1905 



....do 

Fel). 3. 1905 



.do. 



Jan. 20,1905 
do 



Feb. 2, 1905 
do 



....do 

Feb. 3, 1905 



Feb. 2, 1905 

Jan. 10,1905 

Jan. 18,1905 

July 4, 1904 

Dec. 12,1904 

Dec. 20,1904 

July 4, 1904 

Dec. 12,1904 

Dec. 20,1904 

Dec. 12,1904 

Dec. 20,1904 

Jan. 19,1905 

Jan. 18,1905 

Jan. 12,1905 

Jan. 13,1905 
do 

Jan. 12,1905 

Jan. 16,1905 

Jan. 12,1905 

Jan. 16,1905 

Jan. 12,1905 

Jan. 16,1905 

Jan. 30,1905 

Mar. 27,1905 

Mar. 10,1905 



1.95 

2.65 

L35 
4 35 

L05 

L15 
2.25 
1.25 
1.90 



L15 
21. 45 



3.85 



LOO 
105 

4.35 

2.35 
L15 



L70 
L50 



L95 
LOO 



L25 
.95 
3.00 

L55 
■L85 
L20 

L45 
3 35 
2.15 

2.75 
L35 
L40 
.95 

L88 

2.05 
2.05 

2.00 

L40 

2.20 
L50 

LSO 
L40 
L50 
.20 
2.40 



Nitrogen as- 



Free 
am- 
monia. 



.14 
.10 



.16 
.24 



.15 
.06 
.72 

.32 

.10- 

Trace. 

.33 
.24 
.12 

.22 
.70 
.14 
.01 

.26 

.14 
.38 

.18 

.13 

.17 
• 12 

.34 
.14 
.16 
.18 
.18 



Trace. 

0.03 

Trace. 
.86 

.02 

.12 
L52 
.01 
.03 



.02 

.01 

.01 
Trace. 

.03 

.05 
.30 



.09 
.01 



.24 
.03 



.10 
.01 
.21 

.02 

.25 

Trace. 

.01 

.01 

Trace. 

.01 

.25 

Trace. 

.05 

.22 

.20 
.48 

.13 

.02 

.10 
.02 

.01 
.10 
.92 
.05 
.09 



Ni- 
trites. 



Ni- 
trates. 



0.004 

.004 

Trace. 
032 

Trace. 



.064 

Trace. 

002 



.003 
Trace. 



.002 

Trace. 


.001 

.002 

Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 




Trace. 
Trace. 



Trace. 
.004 
.024 

.004 

Trace. 

001 

004 

Trace 

.004 

Trace. 

.004 

Trace. 

Trace. 

.008 

.008 
Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 
Trace. 

Trace. 
Trace. 
.002 
Trace. 




2.50 

2.50 

LOO 
2.50 

L25 

L25 
3.00 
L50 
LOO 



3.50 
4 00 



4 00 

L76 

2.00 
4 00 

3.50 

L50 
L25 



2.00 
LOO 



L25 
L7 



L75 
2.50 
5.00 

.50 

2.00 

.50 

.50 

2.00 

.50 

2.00 
.50 
2.50 
L50 

LSO 

L50 
2.50 

L35 

LSO 

L45 
2.00 

2.00 
2.00 
L75 



2.25 



Chlo- 
rine 



10 
2.5 



6 
67.0 



6 

1L5 
9.5 

4 
40 
40 

5.0 
7.0 
8.0 

7.0 
8.0 
7.0 
6.0 

6.0 

9.0 
10.0 

8.0 

3.0 

6.0 
6.0 

45 
S.5 
5.0 
0.5 
5.0 



Unfiltered water. 



Total 
resi- 
due. 



Loss 
on ig- 
ni- 
tion. 



216 

238 

137 
344 

147 

219 
365 
110 
112 



152 
214 



157 



143 



124 
138 



143 
109 



200 

78 



189 
71 



173 
278 
373 

243 
182 
241 

195 
215 
229 

217 

222 

260 

71 

111 

182 
220 

100 

115 

219 
222 

111 
121 
61 
74 
73 



52 
145 



65 
93 
123 

55 
34 
51 

59 



SANITARY ANALYSES OF SURFACE WATERS. 

Sanitary analyses of tap water at Washington. 
[ Parts per million.] 



295 





Re- 
quired 
v/xygcTi. 


Nitrogen as — 


Chlo- 
rine. 


Unflltered 
water. 


Total 
hard- 
ness. 


Sus- 
pended 
matter. 


Date. 


Albu- 
minoid 

am- 
monia. 


Free 
am- 
monia. 


Nitrites. 


Ni- 
trates. 


Total 
solids. 


Loss 
on ig- 
nition. 


1904. 
May 4 




0.37 


0.02 




0.2 


3.0 


127 
109 
91 
121 
106 






40 


May 11 






26 




30 


May 19. 




.19 


.OS 





.25 


3.0 
2.5 
4.0 


11 


May27 








13 


June 3 




.20 
.24 


.04 
.06 


Trace. 


.25 






14 












JilriP 11 










365 
134 
138 
156 
273 
163 
173 
147 
149 
134 
143 
159 
158 
170 
161 
134 

120 
112 
100 






289 


June 18 


i.60 
2.13 
1.15 
3.10 
1.80 
1.70 
1.10 
1.10 
1.30 
.80 
1.65 
1.70 
1.35 
1.55 
2.40 

2.75 
3.30 
1.50 
2.75 
1.90 
1.10 
2.35 

.85 
1.50 
1.10 

.40 
2.85 
1.50 

1.72 


.28 
.14 
.24 

.45 
.32 
.23 
.36 
.29 
.20 
.28 

"".'is" 

.12 
.11 
.20 

.31 
.29 
.21 
.30 
.20 
.05 
.12 
.07 
.17 
..34 
.26 
.14 
.18 


.03 
.04 
Trace. 
.02 
.03 
.02 
.03 
.11 
.10 
.10 
.03 
.28 
.08 
.02 
.03 

.10 
.24 
.05 
.09 
.06 
.02 
.10 
.07 
.17 
.04 
.02 
.06 
.14 


.002 
Trace. 
.003 
.002 
.002 
.008 
.004 
.002 
. 006 
.0125 
.030 
.080 
Trace 
.003 
Trace. 

Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 

.002 
T/ace. 

.004 
Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 
Trace. 


.50 

.25 

.50 

.50 

.125 

.50 

.50 

.50 

.25 

.50 

Trace. 

2.50 

2.00 

.75 

1.00 

1.00 
1.00 
1.35 
1.76 
2.00 
2.25 
2.50 
2.50 
2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
2.50 


7.0 
4.0 
3.0 
6.0 
4.0 
4.0 
.5.0 
5.0 
4.0 
3.0 
5.0 
5.0 
4.5 
5.5 
5.0 

5.0 
5.0 
12.0 
4.0 
6.0 
7.0 
7.0 
6.0 
6.0 
6.5 
5.5 
6.0 
7.0 


26 
33 
48 
47 
46 
46 
32 
41 
38 
47 
39 
30 
61 
40 
29 

50 
25 
42 


,55.2 

"si's" 

'"85."6"' 
96.6 
117.3 
111.8 
110.4 
117.3 
117.3 
117.3 
117.3 
214.2 
106.1 

85.8 

66.4 

65.5 

78 

70.2 

"ioai" 

100.0 
00.3 
59.3 
57.3 
57.3 
59.0 


45 


June 30 


19 


July 14 


41 


July 29. 


139 


August 29 

September 17 

September 28 

October 13 

October 26 

November 10 

November 28 

December 13 

December 16 

December 22 

December 31 

lyo.5. 


56 
45 
13 

12 

" 2 

28 

1 
22 



9 


January 14 

January 20 

January 28 


33 
13 


February 4 

February U 

February IS 

February 25 








132 
106 
116 


47 
48 
56 




18 
28 


March 18 


67 


29. 


137 


March 24 












April 14 
















Average 


.229 .073 


.0054 


1.16 


5.23 






88.98 













Comparison of analysis of Potomac ivater hy several investir/ators 
[Parts per million.] 





Required 
oxygen. 


Nitrogen as— 


Nitrates. 


Chlorine. 






Albtimi- 
noid am- 
monia. 


Free am- 
monia. 


Nitrites. 


Total 
solids. 


Health Office, 1904-5 


1.72 


0.229 
.111 
.1.50 
.105 


0.073 
.0008 
Trace. 
.013 


.0054 
Trace. 
Trace. 

.002 


1.16 
.639 

1.100 
.73 


5.23 
3.78 
4.00 
2.60 


146.1 


Health Office, 1897-1900 

Surgeon-General's Off.ce, 1899 

E. S. Weston 


2.56 
2.10 
4.50 


126.7 
125.0 
139.0 



296 



THE POTOMAC EIVEK BASIN. 



Mineral analyses of surface waters in Potomac basin. 
[Parts per million.] 



Si O2 

Fe2 0i, AI2 O3 

Ca 

Mg 

Na 

K...- 

01 

SOj 

CO3 ; 

HCO3 

Quantity analyzed (cubic cen- 
timeters) 



North 

Branch 

Potomac 

River 

above 

Bayard, 

Feb. 27, 

1905. 



6.30 
5.20 
6.29 
1.33 

Trace. 

Trace. 

6.0 

95.69 

None. 
33.3 

2,000 



Buffalo 
Creek 

at 

mouth, 

Feb. 27, 

1905. 



6.10 
3.1? 
8.21 
1.62 
5.22 

Trace. 
9.0 
5.42 

None. 
27.3 

2,000 



Abram 
Creek 

at 

mouth, 

Feb. 27, 

1905. 



5.75 
4.40 



1.44 
Trace. 
Trace. 

5.0 

113.65 

None. 

30.3 

2,000 



Savage 

River, 

Feb. 25, 

1905. 



9.46 
6.00 
9.65 
1.07 

Trace. 

Trace. 

5.0 

60.94 

None. 
30.3 

1,500 



Georges 
Creek 

at 

mouth, 

Feb. 25, 

1905. 



17.40 
127.60 
138. 96 

33.66 

6.97 

Trace. 

17.0 
577.08 
None. 
None. 

1,500 



North 

Branch 

Potomac 

River 

above 

Savage 

River, 

Feb. 25, 

1905. 



4.95 

4.90 

10.00 

1.44 

Trace. 

None. 

11.0 



None. 
36.3 

2,000 



North 

Branch 

Potomac 

River 

above 

mill at 

Luke, 

Feb. 25, 

1905. 



9.. 55 
6.30 
9.15 
1.86 

Trace. 

Trace. 
15.0 
81.10 

None. 
27.3 

2,000 







North 














North 


Branch 


North 












Branch 


Potomac 


Branch 


Wills 




Braddock 


Wills 
Creek at 
Cumber- 
land, 
Dec. 30, 
1904. 




Potomac 


River 


Potomac 


Creek 


Jennings 


Run at 




River 


between 


River 


above 


Run at 


\\le- 




below 


Keyser 


above 


Kreig- 


mouth , 


ghenv 




mill at 


and 


New 


baum. 


Dec. 29, 


Grove, 




Livke, 


Pied- 


Creek, 


Dec. 29, 


1904. 


Dec. 29, 




Feb. 25, 


mont, 


Feb. 25, 


1904. 




1904. 




1905. 


Feb. 25, 
1905. 


1905. 










SiOs 


5.00 


6.06 


5.09 


4.67 


11.1 


5.13 


5.70 


FezOs, AI2O3 


78.92 


40.39 


26.79 


69.84 


28.49 


2.17 


1.47 


Ca 


2.52 


8.45 


40.02 


22.24 


85.49 


24.88 


40.18 


Mg 


1.75 


4.61 


4.07 


2.28 


1.51 


4.53 


5.11 


Na 




4.12 
Trace. 
10.0 
14.42 
None. 
36.3 


Trace. 

Trace. 
11.0 
15.93 
11.92 
39.4 


6.59 
Trace. 
10.0 
22.81 
None. 
42.4 


.32 

1.77 
15.0 
274.44 
None. 

9.1 


Trace. 

Trace. 

■ 9.0 

33.41 

None. 

54.5 


5.89 


K . -- - 


Trace. 


CI 


25.0 

73.95 

None. 

78.7 


12.0 


SO.1 


59 46 


CO3 .. 


None. 


HCO3 - 


59.6 


Quantity analyzed (cubic cen- 
















timeters) 


2,000 


1.500 


1,000 


2,000 


2,000 


1,500 


7,000 







Si02 

Fe2 O3, AI2 O3 

Ca 

Mg 

Na 

K 

CI 

SO, 

CO3 

HCO3 

Quantity analyzed (cubic cen- 
timeters) 



North 




Branch 


Potomac 


Potomac 


River 


River 


above 


at Cum- 


Pawpaw, 


berland, 


Feb. 10, 


Dec. 30, 


1905. 


1904. 




7.31 


6.14 


3.52 


7.20 


38.04 


52.33 


5.52 


4.92 


2.97 


2.47 


1.19 


None. 


5.0 


8.0 


42.16 


140.54 


None. 


None. 


45.4 


215.0 


4,500 


1,500 



Potomac 
River 
below 
Great 
Cacapon, 
Feb. 12, 
1905. 



8.63 
43.87 
3.01 
4.10 
1.94 

None. 
4.0 
3.95 

None. 

106.0 

1,900 



Potomac 
River 

at 

Opequon 

Creek, 

Feb 1/, 

1905. 



7.47 

5.66 

47.76 

4.78 

1.17 

Trace. 

11.5 

48.36 

None. 

125.7 

3,000 



Pdtomac 
River 
above 

Harpers 

Ferry, 

July 4, 

1904. 



6.48 
32. 75 
40.26 

3.95 

1.00 
Trace. 

5.0 
18.37 
14.89 
42.39 

5,000 



North 
Fork of 
Shenan- 
doah 
River 
above 



Creek, 

Feb. 2, 

1905. 



Creek at 

mouth, 

Feb. 2, 

1905. 



6.66 

94.92 

.38 

9.90 

None. 

None. 

12.5 

4.71 

None. 

202.9 

3,000 



9.56 

43.90 

1.99 

3.13 

2.11 

Trace. 

10.0 

3.42 

None. 

70.6 

2,500 



MINERAL ANALYSES OF SURFACE WATERS. 297 

Mineral analyses of surface ivaters in Potomac basin — Continued. 





South 

River, 

Jan. 25, 

1905. 


FlkRun 
below 

Elkton, 

Feb. 4, 

1905. 


Hawks- 
bill 
Creek, 
Jan. 26, 
1905. 


Hawks- 
bill 
Creek, 
Feb. 3, 
1905. 


Shenan- 
doah 
River 

at 

mouth, 

Julv 4, 

1904. 


Patter- 
son 
Creek at 
mouth, 
Feb. 13, 
1905. 


South 
Branch 
Potomac 

River 

at 
mouth, 
Feb. 10, 

1905. 


Si O2 


11.37 

.3.60 

33.74 

S.66 

.54 

Trace. 

10.0 

7.19 

None. 

115.0 

3, 500 


11.47 
22.12 

2.77 

4.89 
11.35 

2.15 
67.0 

2.17 

None. 

75.7 

1,500 


14.14 
11.30 
39.54 
9.11 

None. 

None. 

13.5 

11.3 

None. 

143.8 

3,500 


9.44 
37.95 
3.29 
5.17 
2.36 

None. 

21.0 

7.23 

None. 

117.0 

5,000 


10.84 

21.70 

40.52 

5.23 

1.0 

Trace. 

9.0 

6.22 

10.43 

96.90 

5,000 


10.54 

7.00 

51.47 

4.48 

Trace. 

Trace. 
8.0 

163.0 

None. 

112.0 

1, 500 . 


6.13 


FejOs, AI2O3 

Ca ... 


6.00 
51.47 


Mg 

Na 

K 


4.92 
.75 
.35 


CI 


7.0 


SO4 


44.16 


COa 


None. 


HCO3 . 


816.6 


Quantity analyzed (cubic cen- 
timeters) 


1,500 







Great 
Cacapon 
River at 
mouth, 
Feb. 12, 
1905. 



Warm 
Spring 
Run at 
mouth, 
Feb. 10, 
1905. 



Opequon 

Creek 

at Abrams 

Creek, 

Feb. 17, 

1905. 



Antietam 

Creek at 

mouth , 

Jan. 17, 

1905. 



Catoctin 

Creek, Md. 

Jan. 19, 

1905. 



Mono- 

cacy 

River 

above 

Carroll 

Creek, 

Jan. 12, 

1905. 



Si O2 

F02O3, AI2 O3 

Ca 

Mg 

Na 

K 

CI 

SOj 

CO3 

HCO3 

Quantity analyzed (cubic cen- 
timeters) , 



32.93 

64.51 

4.47 

3.50 

2.00 

Trace. 

5.0 

3.11 

None. 

96.9 

1,500 



27.60 

85.59 

5.80 

fi. 30 

7.80 

Trace. 
fi.O 
e.06 

None. 

145 3 

1,500 



9.46 

8.00 

78.64 

13.61 

4.08 

.15 

12.0 

64.92 

None. 

,308. 9 

1,500 



4.4 

31.70 

56. 84 

1.90 

3.88 

4.00 

10.0 

11.78 

None. 

197.7 

1,500 



14.80 

19.48 

3.42 

2.80 

1.80 

Trace. 

7.0 

5.23 

None. 

39.4 

2,000 



6.90 
2.73 
16.30 
2.63 
5.00 
2.71 
6.0 
4.46 
None. 
51.5 

2,000 



Monthly analyses of dissolved mineral matter in tap water at Washington, D. C. 
[Parts per million.] 



1904. 



Jtay. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 



Si02 3.28 

Fe2 03, AI2O3 50 

Ca I 10.37 



Mg 

Na 

K 

CI 

SO, 

C03 

HC03 

Quantity (liters). 



1.87 
3.44 
2.41 
2.76 
11.01 



20 



5.87 
1.00 

13.90 
3 03 
2.88 
4.51 
5.00 

11.92 
None. 

68.13 
10 



9.10 

.93 

.33. 93 

8.00 

.91 

Trace 

4.5 

9.98 

5.96 

84.78 

10 



4.16 
12.67 
34.67 

3. 

2.56 
Trace 

4.0 

8.96 

2. 
84.78 
10 



5.10 
0.82 

53.50 
5.26 
3.47 

Trace 
4.5 
9.64 
5.96 

118.1 
10 



4.11 

1.36 

48.51 

8.38 

4.17 

Trace 

4.5 

11 20 

7.45 

121.1 

10 



3.02 

2.47 

38.54 

3.99 

5.14 

Trace 

4.5 

3.30 

Trace 

136.3 

10 



3.00 
2.53 
54.41 
8.29 
3.04 

Trace 
5.0 
8.38 

None. 

133.1 
10 



1905. 



Jan. Feb. Mar. Aug. 



6.10 

.67 

23.17 

2.74 

.38 

.51 

6.5 

4.92 

None. 

74.17 

20 



6.62 
30.19 
11.41 
5.07 
9.47 
Trace 
6.5 
3.06 
None, 
112.0 
10 



5.41 

.96 

20.27 

. 2.14 

2.05 

Trace 

6.0 

11.18 

None. 

54.3 

10 



6.06 

1.46 

28.61 

2.97 

.97 

Trace 

6.5 

10.55 

None. 

88.7 

10 



Aver- 
age. 



5.15 
4.63 

30.94 
4.62 
3.20 
.62 
5.02 
8.68 
2.03 

97. 77 



298 



THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 



Determination of the different forms of carbon dioxide in the tap water at Washington, D. C. 



Date. 



1904, 

August 29 

September 17 

September 28 

October 2fi 

November 10 

Decemljer 13 

December 16 

December 22 

December 31 

1905 

January 5 

January 14 

January 20 

January 28 

February 4 

February 11 

February 18 

February 25 



CO3 

(parts 

per 

million). 



2.98 
.5.9B 
5.96 
5.96 
5.96 

None. 

None. 

None. 

None. 



None. 
None. 
None. 
None. 
None. 
None.- 
None. 
None. 



HCO3 

(parts 

per 

million). 



84.8 
109. 
109.0 
121.1 
130.2 
139.3 
142.3 
142.0 
109.0 



87.8 
63.6 
69.6 
75.7 
87.8 
181.7 
105.9 
99.9 



COs (cubic centimeter). 



Bicar- 
bonate. 



1.5.5 
19.9 
19.9 
22.1 
23.8 
2.5.4 
2.5.9 
26.0 
19.9 



:6. 1 
11.5 
12.7 
13. S 
16.0 
55.7 
19.3 
18.2 



Excess. 



14.9 
23.1 
24.2 
27.9 
27.9 
39.5 
42.3 
32.0 
26.7 



26.6 
16.6 
7.0 
3.0 
30.1 
18.9 
22.2 
18.9 



Free. 



None. 
3.2 
4.3 
5.8 
4.1 
14.1 
16.4 
6.0 
6.8 



15.1 

5.1 

None. 

None 

14.1 

None. 

2.9 

.7 



RELATION OF SOILS AND FOREST COVER TO 

QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF SURFACE 

WATER IN THE POTOMAC BASIN. 



By W. W. Ashe. 



EFFECT OF SOILS ON TURBIDITY OF WATER. 

GENERAL DISCUSSION. 

The turbidity or muddiness of the Potomac River water, which to 
the majority of the users is considered its most objectionable quahty, 
is derived from no one section of the basin and from no single geo- 
logic formation or type of soil, and comes in part from land of gentle 
gradient and in part from sections where 'the topographic featiu"es 
are stronger. The farming land furnishes the largest amount, but 
small amounts are due to the wash from woodland on certain types 
of soil. Certain parts are washed from roads, and some comes from 
the cutting away of their banks by streams during freshets. The 
turbidity during freshets is unduly increased above the normal by 
the fact that the more rapid current again takes up the sediment 
deposited as silt beds and sand bars at points of slack water during 
periods of slower flow, and by the additional fact, that on very few 
of the tributaries are there flood plains to form natural settling basins 
for some of the heaviest silt. 

Turbidity of the Potomac is not a recent phenomenon. The silt 
and clay which the older geologic formations west of the Blue Ridge 
have contributed to the building of the Coastal Plain were washed in 
muddy streams from their valleys of shale and limestone. The 
Piedmont region has also contributed its share. The deep gorges and 
ravines which, starting at the river, ramify through the soft schists, 
shales, and sandstones that form this portion of the Piedmont region, 
indicate that natural erosion of the friable soils has been proceeding 
at a rapid rate. 

The fertile red soils are not entirely responsible for the turbidity; 
the broken topography, the long, warm summer, and heavy inter- 
mittent rainfall are also active factors, and when these occur together 
turbidity is an inalienable accompaniment of a rapid stream. 
IRR 192— 07— 20 299 



300 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

In a humid climate farther north the growing season is short, the 
nitrifying and oxidizing capacity of the soil lower; humus rapidly 
accumulates, both in woodland and in tilled land; thp porosity of the 
soil is maintained, and granulation, even in a heavy soil, seems to be 
almost a natural condition. The heavy humus content, with the 
concomitant porosity, whether in a forest soil or in tilled land, pro- 
motes absorption and retention of rainfall and minimizes erosion. 

Similarly, sod, which is maintained with difficulty in the desiccating 
autumn climate of the South, naturally sets in a cooler climate in 
ditches, on stream banks, and in waste places, and forms nearly 
as perfect a protection against erosion as a forest cover. In those 
sections where thick sod does not form, a forest cover is the best 
protection against erosion on steep land. 

The conditions which surround the upper headwaters of North 
Branch of Potomac River above Cumberland are largely those which 
determine the clearness of northern streams; and until it reaches 
Cumberland it is a clear stream. Below Cumberland there is a rapid 
change; both the soil and climatic conditions become more favorable 
for increased muddiness, reaching the optimum conditions just above 
Washington and in the Shenandoah and Cumberland valleys. 

The present turbidity, however, is excessive. The washed-out 
beds of the smaller streams, extending in places from hill to hiU 
without banks, and the many-gullied and thin-soiled slopes all indi- 
cate that erosion is taking place now more rapidly than formerly and 
that the turbidity is greater. Its further increase from certain 
sources can be checked, and it can undoubtedly be considerably 
lessened from other sources, to the general benefit of the vaUeys, as 
well as to the improvement of the potability of the water. 

While the turbidity is from many different sources, the greater 
part of it is from the wash from steep or badly tilled cleared land. 
Where it is the fault of the manner of tillage, more rational cultural 
methods can eliminate or reduce it. Where it is from the erosion 
of steep land and can not be prevented by better methods of culture, 
and it is evident that the amount and rapidity of the erosion are such 
as to jeopardize the future earning power of the land, this land and 
other areas of the same character that are yet in timber should be 
regarded as forest land and nonagricultural. Far higher and more 
potent reasons than the clarification of the water demand the with- 
drawal of the land from a use which means its ultimate loss of earning 
power, to be preserved by applying it to a different use as an active 
factor in the nation's future wealth. 



EFFECT OF SOILS ON TURBIDITY OF WATER. 301 

SOILS EAST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT. 
SOIL FORMATIONS. 

The important soil formations" of the Potomac River basin, east 
of the Allegheny Mountains, are the Cecil soils, marked by stiff, 
heavy, usually red subsoils, heterogeneous in texture, underlying 
more friable and looser surface soils; the Chester series, until recently'' 
included in the Cecil, distinguished by lighter, less coherent, and 
usually more micaceous soils, which are more subject to erosion than 
either the Cecil or Perm soils, represented on the Potomac watershed 
by only two soil types, the Chester mica loam and Chester loam; the 
Penn series, dark-red soils and subsoils, moi'e homogeneous in texture 
than the Cecil soils and resembling them in cohesion, but far less 
friable than the Chester soils; the Hagerstown series, generally 
heavy limestone soils; the yellow shale soils, compact yellow or red- 
dish clays or leachy gravel; the Upshur series, dark-red shallow loams 
and sandy loams, and the Dekalb series, gray somewhat sandy soils, 
usually shallow, stony, and coarse grained. 

The first five are, as a rule, valley types, and when not on steep 
slopes are generally farmed. The Upshur soils are partly cleared, 
but are little farmed. The Dekalb series are largely mountain types. 
They are but little cleared and where cleared are largely in grass. 

The Cecil and Penn soils are largely drained by the streams east of 
the Blue Ridge, only small areas of these types lying on its western 
side. The other soils very largely lie to the west of the Blue Ridge. 
The Cecil and Chester soils are responsible for most of the turbidity 
of the Piedmont streams of the South Atlantic States. 

The streams east of the Blue Ridge contribute very largely to the 
turbidity of the Potomac, and it is probable that they add a large, 
if not the largest, part of the coarser silt that is brought down during 
seasons of medium heavy rain, with 1^ to 2 inches of rainfall dis- 
tributed over a period of twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The pre- 
vailing soil types are of the Penn and Cecil series, which are usually 
of sufficient depth for cultivation, but in many of their phases loose 
and incoherent, and, if denuded, eroding under moderate rains. 
Their tendency to wash is increased, especially near the river, by 
their situation on steep slopes. 

CECIL AND CHESTER SOILS. 

Cecil silt loam is a gray soil of fine texture derived from the decay 
of partly metamorphosed sandy shales. On surfaces which are at 
all steep it erodes badly, forming deep gullies down to the undecom- 

a The classification and nomenclature of soils used in this paper are those adopted by the Bureau of 
of Soils, Department of Agriculture. In no sense are they geologic, and the names should not be con- 
fused with the names of geologic formations. 

b Soil Survey Field Book, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1906, p. 108. 



302 THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN. 

posed rock from which it was formed, and entirely destrojdng the 
value of the land for farming purposes. Its composition is such that 
its washings add a very fine and undesirable matter to the water. 
The mechanical analyses" of this soil made by the Bureau of Soils 
from a sample 3 miles east of Leesburg, Va., give it the following 
percentage of silt and clay: Silt (0.05 to 0.005 mm.), 60.06 per cent; 
clay (0.005 to 0.001 mm.), 22.80 per cent. 

Most of the areas of this soil on the basin are badly situated to 
prevent washing. Some of the largest are on the south side of the 
river at the mouth of Goose Creek, where the rough topography — 
the river hills being steep and 200 or more feet high — is unfavorable 
for clean tillage. Other areas lie on the steep upper slopes of Broad 
Run and below that stream, all close to the river, and frequently 
showing, in spite of attempts at careful cultivation, gullying and 
washing. The agricultural limits of the soil are partly recognized, 
and less than one-half of these areas are cleared. It does not hold a 
grazing sod, and when the slope becomes at all steep it ceases to be 
an agricultural soil and its earning capacity in such situations can be 
perpetuated only by retaining it in timber. The forests are largely 
of black oak, chestnut oak, scarlet oak, and pitch pine. Its situation 
so close to the river and the relatively short distance above the intake 
of the Washington water supply render the protection of this soil 
from further erosion important. The humus formed is not deep 
except in the bottom of the deep hollows, and in spite of it some 
erosion takes place, the run-off from wooded areas of this soil being 
slightly turbid. 

The Chester mica loam is a loose, incoherent, red soil, derived from 
mica schist. On steep surfaces it washes badly and considerable soil 
transportation habitually takes place. On account of its composi- 
tion, 25 per cent being clay and about 30 per cent fine silt, such 
washing adds an objectionable element to the water. This soil occurs 
in small areas along the eastern base of the Catoctin Mountains, in 
Virginia; in larger areas in the eastern part of Frederick County, Md., 
on Monocacy River; in Montgomery County, Md., on the upper waters 
of Seneca Creek; and in the lower portion of Fairfax County, Va. 
On Seneca Creek it is extensively farmed and contributes much to the 
objectionable turbidity of that stream. Where level and undulating 
it does not erode so rapidly, but on steep slopes a great deal of badly 
gullied land can be seen, and in such situations it ceases to be a farming 
soil and its preservation is possible only by keeping it in forest. It 
is not a good grazing soil, becoming too dry in the autumn. The char- 
acteristic forest growth on this soil is composed of chestnut and 
chestnut oak on the better phases, and scarlet oak and pitch or Jersey 

o Field Operations, 1903, p. 223. 



EFFECT OP SOILS ON TITRBTDTTY OF WATER. 303 

pine on the drier portions, usually with an underwood of mountain 
laurel. The humus varies from good to thin. Wlien this soil is in 
forest there is little washino-. A large area of this type has been 
cleared, and much of it has deteriorated appreciably. The roads on 
this soil wash very badly, often being several feet below the surface 
level. The beds of streams also are much washed, and they are often 
without banks ; turbidity comes from both sources. 

The Cecil clay loam is a dark-red soil having an extensive distri- 
bution on Monocacy River in Adams County, Pa., and Frederick 
County, Md., and is extensively cleared and used for farming. Soil 
transportation steadily takes place, and while gullies are not formed, 
there is a constant and uniform removal of soil from even moderate 
slopes. Fortunately, it is in few places deeply dissected, and careful 
methods of tillage can do much to reduce turbidity from these soils. 
It grasses only moderately well. The remaining forest is of oak and 
hickory and forms a sufficient humus to insure protection. 

The Chester loam and Cecil clay form large areas on Monocacy 
River in Carroll and Frederick counties, Md., on Seneca Creek in 
Montgomery County, Md., and on Broad Run and other small 
streams in Loudoun and Fairfax counties, Va., between Broad 
Run and Great Falls. They also form extensive areas in upper 
Loudoun County and in western Frederick County, on the two 
Catoctin creeks and at the head of Goose Creek. These soils are 
derived largely from the Catoctin schist and granite and from other 
mica schists. They are light brown or red in color, deep, and rather 
porous, but the lighter phases are often incoherent and when drj^ 
much resemble the mica loams in texture and behavior toward 
water. While they form large areas of productive and well-farmed 
land, considerable washing takes place, especially in the spring, when 
raw-plowed surfaces, already saturated, are exposed to heavy rains, 
and this washing increases with the gradient. The surface of these 
soils, especially near the mountains and along the river, is deeply 
carved into high, rolling-topped hills, the stream valleys in many places 
being 200 to 300 feet deep. Only an insignificant portion of these 
soils remains uncleared, and while they generally grass well, there 
is on steep land considerable gullying. In Virginia, except on Catoc- 
tin Creek, these lands are mostly held in large estates and are used 
for grazing, some of the sod not having been turned for sixty years. 
In Maryland they are divided into small farms and tillage is the rule. 
Roads wash badly on these soils, and the beds of the smaller streams, 
especially on the Maryland areas, are badly eroded and much enlarged, 
the banks being steep, naked, and cut back to the base of the hill on 
either side. On account of the fertility of these soils, clearings have 
been extended to slopes which are much too steep even for grazing, 



304 THE POTOMAC EIVEE BASIN. 

and several thousand acres of such slopes lying in deep hollows can 
have the soil retained only by reforesting. The mechanical analyses 
of the Bureau of Soils show that from 50 to 70 per cent of these soils 
consist of clay and fine silt. On account of their extensive area and 
situation on steep slopes close to the river and only a short distance 
above the Great Falls intake, they contribute much to the turbidity 
of the Washington water. The forests are of oak and hickory on the 
heavier phases; chestnut on the lighter. Humus on both types is 
good, and where forested there is no appreciable erosion, except on 
the steepest slopes during very heavy rains. 

PENN SOILS. 

The Penn soils cover extensive areas in the valley of Monocacy 
River and also on the lower part of Goose Creek. The heavier mem- 
bers have usually a rolling surface, and there is sufficient cohesion to 
prevent excessive erosion, which is also reduced by the fact that the soils 
grass very well and are excellently tilled. Many of the areas lie close 
to the larger streams, and some steep banks have been cleared which 
would have held better in timber. Roads wash somewhat; stream 
beds only slightly. These soils are largely cleared. The forests were 
of oak, hickory, walnut, and ash. 

The Penn shale loam, on the other hand, which is a dark-red soil, 
extending southwest from Gettysburg, Pa., in a broad belt, undergoes 
continuous erosion. A great portion of it is gently rolling, but near 
the larger streams it is much broken, and since it does not grass well 
much erosion takes place from cultivated land in such situations. 
Erosion is usually in the manner of uniform soil transportation, result- 
ing in the gradual thinning of the entire slope and not in the forma- 
tion of gullies. Some of the cleared slopes are too steep to justify 
tillage. This soil has from 50 to 80 per cent of fine silt and clay, and 
undoubtedly the steeper gradients contribute to the turbidity of the 
Potomac. The smaller stream valleys are shallow and broad, and 
there is little erosion from them. Pitch and Jersey pines, with scarlet, 
black, and chestnut oaks, and in some places chestnut, form the forest. 
There is considerable old field pine. This type of forest forms only a 
thin humus, but there seems to be very little washing from beneath it. 
The greater part of this soil is cleared, 

LIMESTONE SOILS. 

The limestone soils of the Hagerstown series of the classification of 
the Bureau of Soils constitute the most sought for, best-farmed, and 
highest-priced soils of the Potomac basin. Together with some cal- 
careous and argillaceous shale soils they form more than three- 
fourths of the cleared land in the valley of Virginia and the Cumber- 



EFFECT OF SOILS ON TURBIDITY OF WATER. 305 

land Valley. The Hagerstown claj is a residual soil from the weather- 
ing of the purer limestones, and represents the less soluble portion of 
the rock. The loamy and sandy phases are from limestone that is less 
pure and has more quartz veins in it, and more and coarser insoluble 
residue has been left to form the soil; or they are derived from shales. 
On gentle slopes there is very little erosion of these soils. There is 
more, however, on the heavy types, where the compact texture of the 
clay greatly impedes absorption, than on the looser, more porous 
types. On steeper slopes there is, at least on the heavier soils, con- 
tinual though often slight transportation, which reaches its minimum 
when the soil is in permanent sod or in timber. On account of the 
fertility of these soils, and especially their high productivity in wheat, 
they are in constant cultivation under a short rotation, including both 
corn and wheat as well as hay. 

While the gradients are usually slight on these soils in the Cumber- 
land Valley, in the valley of Virginia, and in the smaller areas on 
Monocacy River in Adams County, Pa., and Frederick County, 
Md., yet there are local areas, especially contiguous to the larger 
streams, where the slopes are very steep, and many badly eroded fields 
are to be seen in such places. Even when deep plowing and careful 
tillage has prevented excessive gullying on steep slopes, rapid soil 
transportation takes place, though it is largely distributed over the 
entire surface, and the soil after each heavy rain is left thinner than 
before, and this unchecked waste portends its ultimate depaupera- 
tion.* In fact, this has already taken place on extensive areas of 
limestone soil, which are closely similar to the heavier types of the 
Hagerstown soils. These are limestone soils in the Martin Moun- 
tains in Bedford county. Pa., in the Patterson Creek Mountains 
in Grant and Mineral counties, W. Va., in a portion of the Tono- 
loway Ridge in Hampshire County, W. Va., in the elevated valleys 
of the Knobly Mountains, and in the high steep limestone slopes 
which lie just beneath the crest of North Fork Mountain and in 
nearly similar situations on South Fork Mountain just east of 
Franklin, Pendleton County, W. Va. There are, moreover, many 
fields in each of the soil areas jvist mentioned so badly gullied that 
grassing has become impossible. The soils have become so shallow, 
and transportation of soil from the raw surfaces takes place so con- 
stantly, that the blue-grass sod, wliich is the natural covering of these 
lands, can not spread and hold, and reforestation will be the only 
means of again giving them a permanent earning power. The diffi- 
culty with soils of this character is that they can not be manured, on 
account of the impossibility of getting a wagon and team on the steep 

oin the southern Piedmont region such long-continued partial erosion gives rise to sandy surface 
soils underlain by heavy subsoils. 



306 THE POTOMAC ETVEB BASIN. 

slopes, and every crop of grain or grass which is removed robs them of 
fertihty, while nothing except mineral fertilizers of the acid-phos- 
phate type are added to them in compensation. When these soils are 
kept in grass there is very little washing, but on account of their pro- 
ductivity, as compared with either the shale soil of the valleys or the 
surrounding thin soils of the sandstones, their cultivation by the small 
landholder is a necessity until their final ruin precludes cultivation 
of any kind. 

The well-known case of the soil-denuded limestones of the Alps 
of Bosnia and southern Austria, the Karst region, is being repro- 
duced here under almost the same conditions. Both are regions of 
steep slopes, and naturally rather shallow but very fertile lime- 
stone soils, which have by the exhaustion of humus through constant 
tillage lost their granulation and had their absorption capacity for 
rainfall so reduced that extensive washing has taken place, leading 
to the destruction of the agricultural value of the soils. The highest 
earning power which such soils now have is in timber production. 
Their natural forests are of hickory, white oak, walnut, locust, red 
oak, and, on dry knolls, black oak, and since all these except the 
black oak yield high-priced woods, and rapid growth is made by 
timber on the limestone, reforestation could be regarded as a finan- 
cially profitable undertaking. When forested there is a heavy humus 
on even the steepest limestone land and a heavy undergrowth of 
weeds, bushes, and vines. The thick humus not only holds a great 
deal of water, but the heavy clays of the limestone have a higher 
capacity for absorption than any other soil on the Potomac, and the 
humus allows those soils to become fully saturated. On account of 
the heavy humus there is almost no turbid run-off from even the 
steepest limestone soils when in timber. In addition to the areas 
already mentioned, other heavy limestone soils cover several thousand 
acres in Highland County, Va., between Monterey and Hightown, and 
areas of less extent in the "Hunting Ground" in Pendleton County, 
W. Va., on the upper waters of North Fork of the Potomac; on Evitts 
Creek, Bedford County, Pa., in the Little Cumberland Valley; and in 
the Cove Valley about McConnellsburg, Fulton County, Pa. In these 
areas the topography is rolling' or the hills have long, moderately 
gentle slopes, except along the larger streams, where the slopes are 
steeper, as they are in the valley of Virginia, and erosion takes place 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as on the Hagers- 
town soils farther east. The soils are worked in short rotations, more 
than two-thirds of the land being habitually in tillage and the rest in 
grass. 

Mechanical analyses'* of the Hagerstown clay, which will cover the 
composition of the heaviest limestone soils in the Potomac basin, 

o Field Operations Bureau of Soils, 1903, p. 212. 



EFFECT OF SOILS ON TURBIDITY OF WATER. 307 

show it to contain from 34 to 38 per cent of clay less than 0.005 
mm. in size, and from 40 to 46 per cent of fine silt between 0.05 and 
0.005 mm. More than tlu-ee-fourths of its composition is matter 
sufficiently divided to be transported on the most quietly moving 
portions of Potomac Kiver, and practically none of the wash from 
these lands settles above the Great Falls intake. 

The more sandy members of the calcareous soils show a lower per- 
centage of clay content and a higher of silt, the clay forming from 14 
to 36 per cent," while the silt forms from 31 to 50 per cent. While 
the relative proportions of the light and heavy soils are not known, 
at least one-half of the limestone soils are referable to the heavy 
members. The above analyses of texture are of the top soils. On 
the eroded land on the mountains, where gullying is taking place, the 
material is largely from the subsoil, and this shows a far higher pro- 
portion of fine, transportable clay, the amount being from 50 to 63 
per cent" of the entire soil. The proportion of fine silt, however, is 
slightly smaller. 

So great is the erosion from steep limestone lands that during heavy 
summer storms the turbid streams which bear their wash strongly 
exhale the argillaceous odor characteristic of a freshly cut surface of 
heavy clay. This is especially noticeable with the water of Town 
Creek, wliich bears the wash from Martin Mountain; Big Cove Creek, 
which has the wash from the limestones in the vicinity of McCon- 
nellsburg; Conococheague Creek, which drains the Cumberland Val- 
ley; and the two branches of Shenandoah River, which drain the val- 
ley of Virginia and the Page Valley; and there are other streams ia 
which it is probably at times as noticeable as in these. 

In addition to the wash from the agricultural lands a small amount 
takes place from the roads, but most of the roads through the lime- 
stone are surfaced with crushed stone and have been graded or washed 
to a level before being surfaced. 

Near the banks of streams the limestone soils grass well, and there 
is very slight erosion of banks on any of the smaller streams. 

It is evident, on account of the constant erosion that takes place on 
the limestone soils, which rapidly increases with the gradient, and 
the large proportions of transportable clay that these soils contain, 
that they contribute a large proportion of the turbidity to the river, 
probably even a larger proportion than the soils of the Cecil and Ches- 
ter groups; but with this difference in respect to the Washington water 
supply, that local showers on the Cecil soils, on account of their near- 
ness to the Washington intake, and especially rains on the lower part 
jof Monocacy River and on Seneca Creek, which empty into the Poto- 
mac on the same side on which tlie intake is situated, produce high 



a Field Operations Bureau of Soils, 1903, pp. 214, 215. 



308 THE POTOMAC RIVEK BASIN. 

turbidity for short periods, especially dui'ing summer thimderstorms. 
The turbidity produced hj similar storms higher up on the watershed 
is largely reduced by dilution, opportunity being given for thorough 
mixing with the water across the entire channel of the river, and also 
by distribution, a portion being carried far ahead in the main current 
of the river, while those parts which mixed with the water near the 
bank, where friction is greatest, get farther and farther behind. The 
total effect on the water by the time the intake is reached is a slight 
rise in turbidity, which is distributed, however, over a day's flow or 
more. Such local rains on the Cecil soils in Maryland, as has been 
explained, cause high turbidity along the north bank, and there is 
neither time for further dilution nor opportunity for distribution. 
The rapidity and unexpectedness with which this condition is pro- 
duced occasionally cause a considerable amount of highly turbid 
water to enter the reservoirs which supply Washington. 

About one-tenth of the mountain land between the Allegheny Front 
and Shenandoah Mountain is limestone or limestone shales. The 
largest part of the land lies in Highland, County, Va., and Pendleton, 
Grant, Hardy, and Mineral counties, W. Va. The average slope of 
this land is more than 1 foot in 5. Probably one-half of it is at pres- 
ent cleared, and the rest is being cleared rapidly. The limestone soils, 
including both the valley and mountain lands, constitute about one- 
sixth of the total area of the Potomac River basin, or about 2,000 
square miles. 

There are very few springs on the limestone soils, in spite of their 
very great water-storage capacity, but such as there are show great 
constancy and boldness. Many of them are undoubtedly streams 
which permeate fissures or caverns in the limestone. 

SHALE SOILS. 

Shale soils are of two different series — those derived from massive or 
fissile argillaceous shales, known throughout the basin as "5^ellow- 
slate soils," largely the product of weathering of the Romney shale and 
the shales of the Jennings formation; and those derived from the 
weathering of the sandy shales and sandstone of the Hampshire for- 
mation, which are known as "red-slate soils." The yellow-slate soils 
are soft, erode rapidly, and constitute essentially a valley type of soil; 
the red-slate soils form plateaus and low mountains. 

The yellow-shale soils are extensively distributed, and some of their 
phases are the source of considerable turbidity. The first of the two 
extreme types is the typical "slate soil," largely formed of small, 
sharp -angled pieces of argillaceous shale. Occasionally it is called 
gravelly soil. Only a small amount of fine earth is associated with it. 
It is extremely porous and leachy, and transportation takes place so 



EFFECT OF SOILS ON TURBIDITY OF ^^'^TEK. 309 

rapidly that verj little fine!}' divided earth accumulates. It is essen- 
tially a thin, light soil, and its condition is due not only to the fact that 
the shale decomposes slowly, but also to the erosion of the finer 
material proceeding practically at the same rate at which it is formed, 
and to its situation on steep slopes high above the base-level of erosion; 
or it is in places the wornout shale clay of the type described in the 
next paragraph, from which the fine soil has been removed by washing 
when cultivated. 

The second type embraces yellow-shale clay and its loamy phases. 
It is the residual product from the weathering of the argillaceous and 
moderately sandy shales, where there has been but little soil trans- 
portation. On broad flats near the heads of streams and where the 
valley hills have been eroded nearly to stream level, soil has accumu- 
lated to the depth of several feet, but as the slope becomes steeper the 
soil rapidly becomes shallower and "slate" chips more abundant, a 
rapid transition taking place with increased slope into the " slate-soil " 
type. These soils do not hold grass well except at high elevations, and 
constant tillage rapidly changes their character and lessens their 
earning value, as the fine soil is eroded. Above 1,500 feet altitude and 
in cool situations along moist slopes sheltered in part from the heat of 
the sun, especially on the heavier and more calcareous shales of the 
Rockwood formation, and some in the Romney formation, a perma- 
nent grazing sod can be maintained. In other situations the grass 
dies in a few years and a scant growth of pennyroyal and spring and 
early summer weeds takes its place. When the shale soils are on high 
slopes the characteristic topographic features are the small size of the 
hills and the number and depth of the fissures which indent them, the 
surface features being in strong contrast to the rolling summits and 
broad, flat slopes, even where steep, which mark the limestone. This 
broken surface of the shale hills is another drawback to general farm- 
ing on them, making the fields small and their cultivation difficult, and 
causing some inequality in the maturing of the crops. A crop makes 
on the typical leachy slate soil only when there is a wet growing season, 
and for this reason wheat, growing largely during the wet spring, is 
more successfully raised on it than corn. The soils are not, however, 
adapted to farming, and large areas which have been cleared are 
turned out nominally as pasture, but in fact are practically waste. 
Where the soils are deep and the slopes gentle the soils are very pro- 
ductive in corn, hay, small grain, and apples. 

Mechanical analyses of these soils show that the earthy portion 
includes from 22 to 40 per cent of clay. They are responsible for a 
considerable portion of the turbidity of South Branch of the Potomac, 
and of Patterson, Back, Sleepy, Sideling Hill, Great Tonoloway, and 
Licking creeks. While a large part of the wash comes from cleared 
land, the washing of the banks of small streams, especially when the 



310 ^ THE POTOMAC RRnER BASIN. 

trees and bushes have been entirely cut off, is a notable feature. 
Some also comes from roads, which are inclined to wash, especially on 
the compact clay soils. A small amount comes from the woodland, 
as the streams which drain forested watersheds becomes conspicuously 
clouded during heavy and especially prolonged rains. 

The forests on the shale soils vary with the drainage of the soil. 
Where the topography is gentle and the clay soil is deep, white oak, a 
small amount of chestnut oak, and in the hollows red oak form the 
timber, the white oak always being the aggressive species. With 
increased dryness, due either to the thinness of the decomposed clay 
soil or to greater inclination of slope, Jersey pine and chestnut oak 
become the dominant species, white oak being of minor importance. 
A moderate humus accumulates under the red and white oaks, but 
elsewhere the humus is very light on this soil. The springs in the 
shales are numerous, but small and irregular in their flow, many of 
them going dry during the summer and autumn. Probably one-half 
of the total area of shale soils has been cleared, but a large part of it is 
idle. On steep slopes and in its leachy phases the shale soils are not 
agricultural, and while they have a low earning power in forest they 
are best preserved by being wooded. On gentle slopes the shale soils 
can be made highly productive. A feature about them is the rapidity 
with which the bits of shale disintegrate when exposed to the weather ; 
for this reason these soils can not be completely exhausted. 

The red shales and sandstones of the Hampshire formation west of 
Shenandoah Mountain yield soils which are referred by the Bureau of 
Soils to the Upshur series. On the Potomac watershed the country 
rock of this formation is largely a sandy dark-red shale. It occurs 
usually in elevated valleys, as Long Hollow, in Washington County, 
Md., or in broken plateaus, as the "Levels," in Hampshire County, 
W. Va., and Timber Ridge, in Fulton County, Pa.; or it forms low, 
flat-topped mountains, as Town Hill and the foothills of Sideling Hill, 
in West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The larger streams 
have in most places cut deep gorges tln:ough it, with steep, precipitous 
sides. The gently rolling surface, which is generally farmed, is in 
sharp contrast with the much broken surface of the yellow shales, and 
when the two occur side by side the red shale is usually at a higher 
elevation. The soils derived from it east of the Allegheny Front are 
usually loams and sandy loams, in few places passing into stiff phases; 
they are shallow, rarely more than 2 feet deep, with much broken 
shale and bits of sandstone disseminated tln"ough them, and dark-red 
or chocolate in color. The porosity is excellent and, the underlying 
shale being much fissured, there is comparatively little erosion except 
on steep slopes, where considerable sand and even coarse gravel is 
transported. The sandy membei-s are too light, thin, and leachy for 
successful production of corn and wheat, the staple crops of the region, 



EFFECT OF SOILS ON TUKBIDITY OF WATER. 311 

and large areas which have been cleared, amounting probably to 
more than 10,000 acres, have been abandoned and are offered for sale 
at prices between $5 and $8 an acre. Other extensive areas, which 
are held in connection with operated farms as pasture land, are prac- 
tically waste. The lighter phases will not hold a grazing sod, and hay 
grass lasts only a season or two on it. Except on the heavier phases or 
the most gentle slopes, as about Three Churches and the middle portion 
of Timber Ridge, this soil yields, if worked in grain and grass, only 
the scantiest living to the tiller. Under the current system of tillage 
it is not a productive general farming soil. Recently, however, exten- 
sive areas of this soil on the ' ' Levels " and elsewhere have been planted 
in peaches, to which it is well adapted. The soil can be used profit- 
ably for this purpose and similar intensive farming, to which it seems 
to be adapted, only where transportation is available, which excludes 
at present the largest areas. It is, when shallow and on steep slopes, 
a forest soil and must ultimately be regarded as such unless planted in 
peaches, small fruit, or truck. More than one-half of this soil is yet 
in woodland. As would be expected from its lightness, the timber 
is neither tall nor the stand heavy. On the heavier members short- 
leaf pine, black oak, and pignut hickory form the growth, which 
changes to scarlet oak and pitch pine as the. soil becomes more sandy 
and shallower. The humus is light. 

Not so much turbidity originates from these soils as would be sup- 
posed from their red color, although the run-off from tilled land is 
always muddy. The waters which come from wooded areas, how- 
ever, seem always to be clear. 

SANDSTONE SOILS. 

Sandstones form the greater part of the mountains, the limestones 
and smaller areas of shale and granite forming the rest; and since the 
sandstone yields a sandy soil, this is the prevailing and character- 
istic mountain type. The soils of the sandstone, forming the sandy 
members of the Dekalb series, are all very sandy, some very shallow, 
and most of them stony, their final form being determined by the 
hardness of the rock from which they originated and the steepness 
of the slope on which they are formed. 

The deepest sandy soils and those best suited to tillage come from 
the "Monterey sandstone" and the sandy beds of the Jennings and 
Hampshire formations. These are loams and sandy loams, and 
while they are deep in but few places they are usually found at the 
higher elevations and are well supplied with organic matter. Even 
in the case of some of these formations which rapidly decompose,, 
there is, where they lie on steep slopes, constant soil transportation, 
and the residual soil is shallow. On account of this constant loss there 



312 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN". _ 

is around the base of many of the sandstone mountains a heavy talus 
of sand washed from the heights, forming a mantle over the valley 
formations of shale and limestone. This is especially noticeable in 
the Cumberland Valley, in the valley of Virginia, and, to a less extent, 
elsewhere. 

The more indurated sandstones and the quartzite yield only the 
thinnest kinds of mountain soils, which are strewn with large and 
angular fragments of stone. Such stony land is suitable only for for- 
est growth, and no attempt has yet been made to clear it. At least 
one-half of the mountain land east of the Allegheny Mountains is of 
this character. The sandy soils of the valleys, as well as those of the 
level benches of the mountains, except where light and leachy, are 
farming and fruit-raising soils. Considerable areas of sandy land on 
the mountains, with soil of some depth, were cleared originally for 
grass land. It is well suited for sod land, and so long as the turf is not 
turned it holds very well, its porosity being sufficient to absorb heavy 
rains readily without washing. When cultivated, especially in corn, 
it washes very badly; less so when in oats and buckwheat. 

While these soils contribute very little to the turbidity of the river, 
their preservation on the mountains is necessary on other grounds. 
They and the underlying sandstone, which is in most places well fis- 
sured, form the natural reservoirs at the head of nearly all the streams 
of the Potomac basin. The springs from the sandstone are numerous 
and constant in their flow, though few of them have the volume and 
boldness of the limestone springs. 

The forests on the sandy soils vary widely in composition and qual- 
ity, according to the depth of the soil, its drainage, and the aspect. 
Where the soil is deep and mellow, especially at high elevations or on 
cool slopes, chestnut and red oak are the characteristic trees, and the 
humus naturally formed is excellent. In somewhat drier situations 
white oak is the dominant tree, chestnut oak also becoming abundant, 
the proportion of the latter increasing with better drainage. The 
humus becomes thinner as the amoimt of chestnut oak increases. 
On cool western slopes, especially in elevated valleys, white pine was 
a factor in the original growth, but very few trees are now seen, even 
of young growth. On ridges, especially those that are warm and 
sunny, pitch and table-mountain pine form groves in many places, 
almost unmixed with other trees, and in such groves the humus is very 
thin and poor. 

SOILS WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT. 

The soils of the Allegheny Mountains are loams and sandy loams 
from conglomerates, sandstone, and sandy shales, with smaller areas 
of clay from more argillaceous shales and from limestone. They are 
generally gray or yellow, in a few places red or brown, and for the most 



EFFECT OF SOILS ON TURBIDITY OF WATER. 313 

part are stony. Large areas are so thin soiled and stony as to be 
entire!)'' worthless for agriculture of any kind. These include espe- 
cially the soils from the harder conglomerates and sandstone of the 
Blackwater and Pocono formations and the sandstone of the Bayard 
formation. These are extensively developed on Spruce Mountain, 
along Backbone, Savage, and Dans mountains, and on Stony River, 
where many acres at some places are covered with large angular 
stones, such places being locally known as rock bars. 

The humus content of the soil is large for the several reasons which 
have been pointed out, and their absorptive capacity for water is high. 
The humus, as well as the general looseness, permits rapid percolation 
of water through the soil to the subsoil. Unless subject to clean til- 
lage on the slopes there is very little erosion of cleared land. Fields 
were seen, however, on Wills Creek and on Georges Creek, which from 
the cultivation of corn or potatoes had washed badly and are now too 
thin to form a good sod. On the slopes of Red Oak Mountain also, and 
along the Allegheny Mountain farther north, the grazing land on the 
steep southern slopes has become thin and the sod is scant. Some of 
the clearings, however, are old, situated along the early pikes and 
trails which crossed the Allegheny Mountains to the fertile lands of 
the Ohio Valley. They clearly indicate, though, that much of this 
land which grows well when fresh gradually b)ecomes exhausted even 
in sod on the steep slopes and must eventually again be timbered to 
hold the soil. 

Very little turbidity comes from North Branch of Potomac River 
above Cumberland, and the same is true of the headwaters of Wills 
Creek, in Somerset County, Pa., and of Seneca Creek, Laurel Fork, 
and the intermediate streams in Pendleton County, W. Va. Only the 
heaviest summer rains, or spring rains after the loosening of fall- 
plowed ground by frost, cause evident washing of farmed land, except 
on the steepest slopes. In spite of the fact that so large a part of the 
cleared land is in sod, the number and constancy of the springs are 
noteworthy. 

The forests in the Alleghenies vary widely in composition ; chestnut, 
red oak, and chestnut oak are the prevailing species in the warmer and 
drier situations. The chestnut forms a good humus, and the quantity 
of humus is largely determined by the proportion of this tree. 

On northern slopes and in the moister situations birch, sugar 
maple, basswood, and beech form most of the timber, while hemlock 
occurs with these in many of the ravines. This type of forest occurs 
in many places on very rough and stony land. The humus is very 
deep, having accumulated locally to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Above 
4,000 feet elevation, on the headwaters of Stony River, Difficult Creek, 
and Buffalo Creek, in Grant County, and on Seneca Creek and Laurel 
Fork, in Pendleton County, W. Va., the forests are largely of spruce. 



314 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

The soil is of the thinnest character, much of it only beds of stone. In 
forest which has been nnlumbered or unburnt the moss and humus 
are deep and largely replace the soil for supplying the necessary mois- 
ture. There is no discernible erosion of the forest soils where the 
humus has not been destroyed or lessened. The smaller streams are 
at times discolored by the leaching of the humus, but to an insignifi- 
cant degree. 

More than one-half of the area of the Allegheny Mountains is forest 
covered, including nearly all of the steepest slopes. 

It is evident that the soils which most largely contribute to the 
turbidity of Potomac River are those that are most valuable for farm- 
ing, which are largely cleared. Considerable forest, however, is yet 
situated on the steeper slopes of some of these soils, especially on cer- 
tain members of the Cecil series and on much of the limestone on the 
mountains west of North Mountain. When these areas are cleared 
the wash from them will augment the already high turbidity of the 
river. As a matter of civic policy it would be advisable to retain 
these lands in forest and to reforest extensive areas of similar soils 
which have been pauperized by erosion incidental to culture or whose 
permanence is threatened by tillage, since the erosion from them 
when in forest is insignificant. 

EROSION OF FARM LAND. 

The primary cause of erosion is the failure of the. soil to absorb the 
rain water which falls upon it. If the rainfall is all absorbed, as by a 
coarse, sandy soil, there is no run-off and no erosion. As the soil 
becomes finer in texture, more compact, and correspondingly less per- 
vious, the rain is not absorbed as fast as it falls, and the very smallness 
of the grains which form the soil facilitates its transportation when- 
ever the attitudinal factors are favorable. The impact of the rain- 
drops loosens the fine particles of soil, and unless absorption takes 
place the drops gather into small streams and rivulets, transporting 
with them, by a system of natural elutriation, the finest particles of 
soil and leaving behind the larger and heavier grains. At first this is 
entirely due to the hydraulic action of the impinging raindrops, but 
no sooner do the rivulets gather power, either by the added volume of 
water or by increased gradient, than they likewise begin cutting loose 
and transporting the soil. The eroding and transporting action of 
water is increased by the increase in its volume; it is also increased 
four times by doubling the gradient. For this reason the steepest 
land erodes most easily, and since the slope of a rain-formed hill is an 
ogee and steepest in the middle the most rapid erosion takes place on 
the middle slope, while the heaviest transported material is deposited 
by the slackened current on the more gently sloping base. 



EFFECT OF SOILS OIST TUBBIDITY OF WATER. 315 

The capacity of a stiff soil for water is in practice 35 to 50 per cent 
of its volume, or for ordinary fanned soils 4 to 5 inches of rainfall to 
the surface foot. In spite of this capacity, the greater part of a heavy 
shower will usually not be absorbed. The coarse structure of a sandy 
soil permits the rainfall to be absorbed as rapidly as it falls. In a clay 
soil, unless in a high state of tilth, the pores are smaller and there is 
less open cellular communication between them, and absorption must 
largely take place through cracks, worm holes, and root holes, and 
when there are few of these absorption is largely retarded until the air 
can be expelled. In the extreme case, that of a raw clay soil with its 
surface puddled by a previous heavy rain, the result is, as King" points 
out, "that when a heavy rain falls, the close structure and feeble 
granulation result in the surface pores of the soil becoming so quickly 
closed that the soil air has little opportunity to escape, and yet only 
so fast as it does escape can rain enter the soil, and hence during heavy 
rains the water accumulates quickly and extensively upon the surface." 

The greater portion of the tilled soils of the Potomac basin, espe- 
cially of the lower part, are of heavy type and close texture, and the 
run-off from them indicates failure to absorb. But were th^y well 
granulated and in good tilth they, as well as the more permeable 
sandy soils, could readily absorb, without undue accumulation of 
surface water, a much heavier rain than commonly falls at one time 
on the Potomac basin. 

The porous condition or granulation of a heavy soil necessary to 
effect absorption is best procured by the addition of humus. 

There is over a greater portion of the tilled area a deficiency in the 
organic content or humus. The soils ot the great valley and the 
region to the east lie well within the southern field of long, hot sum- 
mers and heavy, irregularly distributed rainfall. The organic con- 
tent of typical tilled soils of this region, as given by the Bureau of 
Soils, is for the Iredell clay loam, 1.43 per cent; Penn loam, 1.70 per 
cent; Penn clay, 1.92 to 3.04 per cent; Hagerstown clay, 1.51 per 
cent; Cecil loam, 1.07 per cent; Cecil clay, 1.63 per cent.* These 
are from typical areas in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, in a 
well-farmed section, and without doubt adequately represent the 
humous content of these and similar soils throughout the lower culti- 
vated portion of the Potomac River basin. 

For the same or similar soils in the more southern Atlantic States, 
the organic matter is given '^ as from 5 to 7 per cent for the Cecil clay, 
2.4 to 4 per cent for the Cecil sandy loam, and 4.15 to 4.75 for the 
Iredell clay,, and it is recognized that even these large amounts are 
generally too small ** to maintain soils in that latitude in good tilth 
and sufficiently porous and strongly granulated to prevent washing. 

o Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agric, 1903, p. 164. 

b Field Operations Bureau of Soils, 1903, pp. 210 et seq. 

c Idem, 1901, pp. 280 et seq. 

didem, 1901, p. 281; Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agric., 1903, p. 168. 

IHK 192—07 21 



316 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

The growing season in the lower part of the Potomac basin is hotter 
and longer than in the basin of the Susquehanna and the other 
streams to the northeast. Except near the coast, where the relative 
humidity is high; on certain types of soil, which are very well adapted 
to grass; and at high elevations, a permanent sod is with difficulty 
maintained or even established. Many of the soils have high oxidiz- 
ing power, and humus, either in the shape of leaf mold in the forest, 
as manure in farming land, or litter in grass land, is rapidlj' oxidized. 
The result is that a low soil porosity is maintained, with small absorp- 
tive capacity, saturation quickly taking place and the heavy run-off 
from the steep slopes causing erosion. 

Spillman'^ has shown in actual practice that the large increase in 
the organic content of a yellow-shale soil in eastern Pennsylvania 
produced a soil structure more largely independent of weather condi- 
tions than any soil he had ever seen. "Torrential rains are soaked 
up," he says, "in a very short time, so that the soil may be handled 
after a rain much sooner than that of adjacent forms." 

On account of their inability to absorb the necessary rain, the 
moisture content of the heavy clays is often insufficient in the autumn 
for the proper maturing of the corn crop and causes the grass to "burn 
badly." 

On clay soils, such as the heavy phases of the limestone, tile drain- 
age also increases the thickness of the permeable layer of top soil and 
its water-storage capacity. Such drainage would undoubtedly be 
beneficial over a large area of the nearly level or gently rolling clay 
lands of the limestone, shale, and Penn series in lessening erosion 
from saturated soils. 

The run-off can also be reduced by terracing, which is especially 
adapted to the deep-soiled Penn, Cecil, and Chester series east of the 
Blue Ridge and to the shale soils west of it. This permits the absorption 
and the subsoil storage of the heavy spring and summer rains, which 
are so badly needed for plant growth and which are so largely lost to 
the crop by the run-off. Terracing has been done, in isolated cases, 
in more southern States, and the increased yield and greater immunity 
from drought have more than compensated for the reduced area and 
increased cost of tillage. 

Another element in the run-off from farming land which is hiWy as 
important as the loss of the water is the loss of the solid mineral 
elements which form the turbidity as well as the soluble matter which 
is washed off. Mr. Outwater states in another part of this report 
that the soluble matter removed, if derived largely from the agricul- 
tural land, amounts to about 400 pounds per acre per year, and the 
plant food in it is about equal to that removed by a crop. While the 
soluble material lost by leaching is replaced with about the same 

a Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agric, 1903, p. 363. 



U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO.ISg PL. X 




EFFECT OF FOREST COVER ON STREAM FLOW. 317 

rapidit}^ as it is removed, the fine particles of silt and clay are replaced 
very slowly. This fine solid matter represents the most valuable 
portion of the mineral soil on account of its favorable influence on 
the retention of soil moisture and the large surface it offers for root 
absorption. This indicates the necessitj^ from an agricultural stan.d- 
point of storing in the soil the heavy spring and summer rains, that 
the water may be available for the growing crops and that at the same 
time the fertility of the soil may be maintained by retaining in it the 
silt and clay which form the turbidity and the soluble plant food, 
which is also washed away. 

EFFECT OF FOREST COVER OK STREAM FLOW. 

EXTENT AND INFLUENCE OF FOREST COVER. 

Originally the greater portion of the Potomac basin was wooded, 
although the Indians kept much of the Shenandoah and Cumberland 
valleys burned off, as well as certain areas on Monocacy River in 
Adams County, Pa., which even now, on account of this, are known 
as the "Barrens," and smaller areas elsewhere, as at Petersburg, 
Grant County, W. Va., and below Moorefield, Hardy County, W. Va. 
It is also probable that they regularly burned over portions of the 
mountains to facilitate hunting, although they do not seem to have 
kept the timber suppressed, as was the case in the "Barrens" and 
elsewhere in the valleys. 

Woodland at present covers about one-third of the area of the 
basin. (PI. X.) It has been very largely removed from the Great Val- 
ley, from the Blue Ridge and Catoctin Mountains, and from the Pied- 
mont area east of the Blue Ridge. The Shenandoah and Tuscarora 
mountains are yet well wooded, and there is a more or less continuous 
strip of forest on the upper slopes of many of the Appalachian ridge&, 
In places it is continuous for several miles and will cover a great por- 
tion of the slope ; elsewhere it is a very narrow strip along the rocky 
crest, or it is entirely segmented into wood lots and covers less than 
one-fourth of the mountain slope. 

In the Allegheny Moimtains the forest covers most of the very stony 
and rough land and many of the steep slopes, especially in Maryland 
and West Virginia; but in Somerset County, Pa., large areas of even, 
steep land have been cleared and put into grass, and there are no 
extensive bodies of forest. From this it is evident that the forests 
have not yet been cleared from a large part of the steep land of the 
basin, and the facts as brought out go to show that they are sufficient 
in extent to play an important role in connection with the quality 
of the Potomac water, although their influence is not as potent as 
formerly and must continue to decrease as their area becomes smaller. 
The forests are influential in improving the potability of the Potomac 



318 THE POTOMAC KIVEE BASIN. 

water in three ways: They prevent greater erosion from certain soil 
types on steep slopes which are yet partly in forest and which wash 
badly when deforested, and lessen in this way the very high turbidity 
of the water. They maintain the volume, already very low, of the 
summer and autumn run-off, which by dilution adds to the real puiity 
of the water, although this is of relatively slight value. They also 
steady and equalize the flow of the smaller streams and lessen the 
erosion of their banks. 

The water of the smaller streams which flow from forest-covered 
mountain watersheds is clear and pure. The water of such mountain 
streams is being used by several towns in the Potomac basin, which 
obtain their water supply froni streams in the Pennsylvania forest 
reserves, this water being less open to pollution than that of springs 
and wells. The protection of such forested watersheds in other States 
than Pennsylvania, to insure their permanence and the general utili- 
zation of these streams in place of springs and' wells, which are now 
in general use, or in place of the polluted river water which is used 
by Cumberland, will, by furnishing a pure supply, largely eliminate 
these towns as foci of infection of typhoid fever and other water- 
borne diseases. 

One of the tributaries of the Potomac, Great Cacapon River, affords 
clear and reasonably pure water which would be sufficient for the 
requirements of Washington, D. C. It drains a valley whose soils 
are, for the most part, loam and sandy loam, largely nonagricultural 
and forest covered. Three small villages are the chief sources of con- 
tamination. Its distance, 117 miles above the Great Falls intake, is 
probably too great to render it available as a present source of supply. 

There is, as has been pointed out, room for a large storage of storm 
water in farming soils, and more rational farming methods must 
ultimately lead to this. The effect of such storage would be reflected 
in a diminished run-off of flood water, especially of heavy midsummer 
rains. Little of the water thus accumulated would normally pass 
off as seepage to spring and river flow. The improved growth of the 
crops would utilize such stored water, and, given a more constant 
and available amount of soil moisture, two crops a year would be the 
rule and not the exception as at present over much of the warmer 
part of the basin, and in place of the crops transpiring from 4 to 6 
inches of the rainfall, as at present, they would use about double that 
amount. 

Any additional storage, either transient, tending to prolong or dis- 
tribute a flood crest, or deep seated, tending to increase the amount 
of the dry-season flow, can be secured only in the forest soil. Storage 
in forest soil, except in sandy phases, takes place very largely through 
the medium of humus. The amount of water which is actually 
retained by a thin humus is small, in fact, a thin humus is usually 



5;fFE0T of forest COVER OK STREAM FLOW. 319 

far more litter than luimus and has a very low retentive capacity; 
but the chief functions of humus, except where it has accumulated to 
a great depth, are (1) to maintain the volume and depth of the soil 
by preventing erosion; (2) to secure the porosity of the soil; (3) to 
promote the absorption of rainfall by the soil in retarding the run- 
off of heavy showers until the water can be absorbed, as the air is 
gradually expelled from the soil; (4) to act as a mulch and lessen the 
evaporation of soil moisture. 

On coarse, deep sands of low gradient the office of humus is at a 
minimum. There is no surface flow of storm water and no soil trans- 
portation; evaporation of soil moisture is low both from the surface 
of the soil and from transpiration by the xerophytic flora, and the 
larger part of the rainfall passes as percolation. With an increase 
in the clay component, greater gradient, and a decrease in soil depth, 
humus becomes more essential in supplementing the water-absorbing 
and water-carrying capacity of the soil, its functions in this respect 
attaining a maximum on heavy, shallow clays of mountain slopes. 
Much of the mountain area of the Potomac River basin affords such 
conditions; the slopes are steep and the soils are shallov/, in part 
loams and in part clays of limestone and shale derivation. 

Where the humus is thick, however, it possesses a high storage 
capacity. While there is some doubt in regard to the exact amount 
of water humus is capable of holding, the quantity is relatively large. 
The lowest estimates by Ebermayer place it at considerably more 
than its own weight, and Wiley's investigations of Florida mucks 
give it about the same capacity, while Wollny, as quoted by Henry," 
places it at about four times its weight, and Henry's laboratory 
experiments tend to confirm Wollny' s high limit. The capacity of 
humus must vary, however, not only with the state of decomposition, 
but with its origin as well, since the pore space is the final determinant 
of its water-bearing capacity. The undecomposed litter, which covers 
the humus and from which humus is formed, does not exhibit the char- 
acters of humus toward water. It protects the humus, as humus 
does the underlying soil, from excessive transportation by surface 
water and in addition from excessive evaporation, acting as a mulch. 

The accumulation of humus on forest soil depends, if it has neither 
been disturbed nor destroyed, on the kind of species forming the 
forest and to some extent on the soil, the destruction of humus pro- 
ceeding rapidly on loose, porous soils, which permit freer circulation 
of air and afford the condition best suited for bacteriological activity, 
and since many species of trees, especially the white oak and chestnut, 
have a wide range of soil adaptability, their capacity to accumulate 
humus is modified both by their rate of growth on the soil and by 
the oxidizing capacity of the soil on which they happen to be growing. 

o Revue des eaux et f orfits, 1904, pp. 353 et seq. 



320 THE POTOMAC ETVER BASIN. 

FOREST TYPES. 

The forest types can be arranged, in respect to their humus-forming 
capacity about in the following order, those forming the smallest 
amounts being named first and those beneath which humus and 
absorbent material accumulate to the greatest depth last: Pine type, 
chestnut oak-white oak type, chestnut type, birch-linden-red oak 
type, beech-maple-hemlock type, and spruce type. ^^ 

PINE TYPE. 

Beneath the pine the humus is not only shallow, but seldom accumu- 
lating to a greater depth than 2 inches. It is destroyed so rapidly that 
in the main it is barely replaced annually by the decomposition of litter. 
Where conditions are normal and the humus has not been destroyed 
or lessened, the top soil contains for a depth of 2 to 4 inches a vary- 
ing amount of organic material which adds greatly to its absorptive 
capacity. On account of the open character of most of the pine for- 
ests and their situation, which is usually on exposed ridges, espe- 
cially with southern aspects, and on crests, it is much exposed to 
desiccation by both insolation and wind. Such humus is largely 
protective. Forests of this character are situated on both sandy 
and clay soils. The pitch pine and table-mountain pine, with their 
associated trees, are on the sandiest phases. The soils are usually 
shallow or porous. They include members of the Dekalb and Up- 
shur soil series. Shortleaf pine, with its associated trees, occurs on 
the di'iest aspects of loams and. clays both of the limestone and of 
the yellow-shale and Upshur series. Jersey pine occurs on crests 
and more leachy phases of clays from yellow shale, as well as on 
many of the friable and easily eroded Cecil and Chester soils east of 
the Blue Ridge. Close-textured soils with low absorptive capacity 
probably form one-half of the pine type, the total area of which 
amounts to more than 600 square miles. Nearly all of this area has 
a highly dissected topography, many of the slopes being both long 
and steep, and offers, when denuded of humus, favorable opportunity 
for excessive erosion. Under the conditions of this tj^pe the protect- 
ive value of humus is high in preventing erosion and increase of 
turbidity, as well as m lessening evaporation of soil moisture during 
the summer and autumn, to which this type of forest soil is much 
exposed on account of the thin and incomplete canopy of the crown 
of the pines and associated intolerant species. 

Unfortunately, in much of this forest the humus has been badly 
burned and its accunuilation prevented by repeated, in some places 
almost annual, fires. This condition exists over large areas. The 
summit of Tussey Mountain, a broad, flat-topped ridge, has been 
badly burned. It now forms a part of the Pennsylvania State Forest 



EFFECT OP FOREST COVER ON STREAM FLOW. 321 

Reserve, and it is probable that fires will hereafter be less frequent 
on it. The humus has also been burned from, large areas on the 
west slope of Town Hill, the burned areas extending for several 
miles on both sides of the Maryland-Pennsylvania State line; from 
extensive areas on Sideling Hill, in both Maryland and Pennsylvania; 
from the Pratt woods on Tenmile Creek, in Allegany County, Md.; 
from the broken region below Buck Valley, in the southwest corner 
of Fulton County, Pa., and the eastern part of Allegany County, Md. ; 
from several long, narrow strips on the western slope of Tonoloway 
Ridge in both Maryland and Pennsylvania; from large areas on the 
lower part of Fourmile Creek, and from smaller areas on Scrub 
Ridge and on the west side of Tuscarora Mountain, in Fulton County, 
Pa. The accumulation of humus is prevented on large areas of pine 
forest on both slopes, but especially on the western, of Shenandoah 
Mountain in Virginia and West Virginia. Sandy Ridge, in Hardy 
County, W. Va., is frequently burned, as are smaller areas in Hardy, 
Hampshire, Mineral, Grant, and Pendleton counties, W. Va. ; larger 
areas of pine forest on the western slope of the Blue Ridge in the 
valley of Virginia, and on the interior slope of the west ridge of 
Massanutten Mountain, and many smaller areas in other places. On 
many of the slopes with little or no humus soil transportation and 
erosion freely take place, especially where the soil froni long exposure 
has entirely lost its humus content. Much of the forest has been 
reduced to sprout wood or scrub oak, and since the pines when fire 
killed do not sprout, they are gradually being eliminated. Owing to 
the suppression of young timber by fire the forest density on other 
areas is far too low to check the wind, and the soil, already too dry, 
is exposed to excessive evaporation. There are more than 200 
square miles of the pine tj^pe on which the humus is too thin to perform 
its functions adequately and on which the soil has undergone evident 
deterioration in absorptive capacity. The results from this condi- 
tion must be refiected in excessive run-off during heavy storms and 
in increased evaporation during the summer. 

CHESTNUT OAK-WHITE OAK TYPE. 

Humus beneath the chestnut oak-white oak type of forest seldom 
exceeds 3 inches in depth. This forest, like the pine type, is largely 
situated on slopes and ridges and occupies loams and clay soils on 
both the mountains and valleys. It is well represented east of the 
Blue Ridge, and west of that range it is the prevailing type on the 
dry phases of the valley clays, on all the thin-soiled, loamy slopes of 
the mountains below an elevation of 3,000 feet and above that eleva- 
tion in numerous crests and ridges, especially those with southern 
aspects. On account of its situation on slopes, especially where on 



322 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

heavier soils, as on the mountaia hmestones and the heavy shale- 
clay phases, the protective function of its humus is important in 
preventing erosion, and it is likewise important in promoting ab- 
sorption by these close soils, as well as in preventing the excessive 
evaporation which takes place from the clays, three or four times 
that from the sandy soils. This type covers more than 2,000 square 
miles, of which about 700 square miles are clay soils, the remainder 
being sands, loams, and clay loams, largely thin and in many places 
extremely stony or strewn with rock bars. 

The humus of this type has a small water-carrying capacity, but 
its chief function is protective. It has been reduced in thickness 
over more than one-half of the area of this forest type, and over 
more than 300 square miles it has been destroyed and its reaccu- 
mulation prevented. The reduction in thickness is due to the 
pasturage of sheep, occasional fires, and the desiccation incidental 
to thorough opening of the forest cover in lumbering or peeling bark, 
which industries are being extensively prosecuted in the area of this 
type. Where the humus is subjected to a part or all of these deteri- 
orating influences sinmltaneously, the result is usually its complete 
destruction. This has happened on large areas on the east slope of 
Sideling Hill west of Needmore, Fulton County, Pa., where the destruc- 
tion is so effectual that the soil has washed badly on many of the 
steeper wooded slopes. The same conditions exist over larger areas 
on the west slope of the Blue Ridge, in Rockingham County, Va., and 
to a less extent in Augusta County, on the same range, while many 
of the foothills of Shenandoah and Great North mountains in these 
counties and in Frederick County, Va., and in Hardy and Hampshire 
counties,W. Va.,have been repeatedly burned, and the forest cover has 
been so thinned that large areas of mineral soil are exposed and wash- 
ing. Injury of a less degree exists over areas of this type throughout 
Grant, Pendleton, and Mineral counties, W. Va., Bedford and Fulton 
counties. Pa., and Allegany County, Md. It is worse in the oldest 
settled communities and near the routes of transportation, and gradu- 
ally diminishes as distance from these destructive elements increases. 
Since the causes which lead to the destruction of humus are cumula- 
tive in their effects, the continued activit}^ in lumbering, with the 
inevitable fires and pasturage, is graduallj^ enlarging the area of 
sprout wood, scrub oak, and brush land, on which there is little 
humus or none at all. 

CHESTNUT TYPE. 

The chestnut, with which usually red oak is associated at higher 
elevations and white oak at lower, produces a better humus than 
either of the types already described. Its humus frequently attains 
a depth of 4 inches and is best when the chestnut is associated with 



EFFECT OF FOREST COVER ON STREAM FLOW. 323 

red. oak or beech. Chestnut requires a deep soil, preferring a loam 
or loamy clay or lighter soil, and for this reason on the mountains it 
grows in many places on benches where there has been little soil 
transportation and on lower slopes where transported material has 
accumulated. In the latter situation it is partly sheltered from wind 
and excessive evaporation of soil moisture, but on benches it is 
much exposed. Humus of the depth formed by chestnut- has an 
appreciable water-carrying capacity and exerts a highly beneficial 
influence on the soil. There are more than 700 square miles of this 
tj^pe, nearly all of it on mountains. In very little of it has the humus 
been so completely destroyed as in the types already discussed, but 
there are large badly burned areas on which accumulation is seriously 
checked. Such areas occur on the Blue Ridge in many places, espe- 
cially on the upper slopes in Page and the adjoining counties in 
Virginia; in many situations in the South Mountains, Tuscarora 
Mountains, and Scrub Ridge, in Adams, Franklin, and Fulton coun- 
ties, Pa. ; on the east face and fore knobs of the Allegheny Mountains 
in Grant and Pendleton counties, W. Va.; and on Savage Mountain 
and Backbone Ridge, in Allegany County, Md., and Somerset County, 
Pa. The total area on which the humus shows the effects of recent 
fires is more than one-third of the entire area of the chestnut type. 

BIRCH-BASSWOOD-RED OAK TYPE. 

The birch-basswood-red oak type often yields humus 5 . inches 
deep. It is normally confined to hollows or northern slopes and 
sheltered situations, mostly at high elevations, and even on extremely 
shallow soils in such situations the humus frequently attains a dep^h 
of 6 inches, besides filling large and deep crevices between the rocks. 
Water can be wrung from such humus for several days after a rain, 
and it becomes dry and crumbly only during periods of long drought. 
Many of the birch and hemlock roots lie within the humus, and it 
undoubtedly furnishes some transpiration moisture to these species 
in spite of the low absorptive power they have in acid humus. This 
tjrpe covers a considerable area on the mountains of the watershed, 
being represented near the crests on northern slopes and in the hol- 
lows. The proportion of it increases with the altitude. It is espe- 
cially well represented on the Alleghenj'^ Mountains and is least 
abundant east of the Blue Ridge and in the Shenandoah River valley. 
The total area probably amounts to less than 300 square miles. On 
account of the moist floor, only small and inconsiderable areas have 
been burned, and in these the burning was limited to the upper layers 
of humus. Heavy cutting in lumbering has caused deterioration of 
the hunms in many places, and cattle have done some damage. 



324 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

BEECH-HARD MAPLE-HEMLOCK TYPE. 

Humus accumulates beneath the beech-hard maple-hemlock type 
to depths of 6 inches or more, and is of very fine quality, fine 
grained, and always moist. On very rocky land it is in places deep 
enough to fill the crevices between the large rocks and seldom becomes 
at all dry except on top. This type is best developed on the Alle- 
gheny Mountains at high elevations, especially above 2,000 feet, on 
moist slopes, and in deep hollows and in similar situations at the 
head of North Fork of Potomac River and on the mountains drained 
by Seneca Creek, Laurel Fork, and adjoining streams. Locally on 
very rocky soil the humus seems to be almost the only soil there is. 
Here and there this type is well developed on good soil, especially 
on limestone at high elevations, as at the head of North Fork of 
Potomac River. On limestone soils the humus and litter are in 
places a foot or more deep and the weeds and small undergrowth are 
extremely rank and thick. Where there has been no lumbering the 
forest cover is dense and there is low soil evaporation. This low 
evaporation is partly offset, however, by high transpiration from the 
deciduous trees of this type. Humus of this type has a high storage 
capacity. It is burned but rarely, and then the fire is usually con- 
fined to the top layers. Considerable areas have been badly burned, 
after lumbering, on Stony River, Difficult Creek, and Buffalo Creek, in 
Grant County, W. Va., in the south end of Garrett County, Md., and 
smaller areas elsewhere. Unless burnings are frequently repeated, 
which is rarely the case except where cutting in lumbering is severe, 
and unless brambles and such shrubs as make large amounts of dry 
brush become thick, the humus is replaced in a few years. This type 
of forest covers about 300 square miles. In 60 square miles of this 
area the humus is shallow on account of fires. 

SPRUCE TYPE. 

Humus accumulates to a depth of several inches beneath spruce 
forests, and in addition there is a deep moss, the lower layers of 
which hold a large amount of water. In the Potomac basin spruce 
is confined to the thinnest soiled, stoniest land at elevations above 
3,000 feet. Much of the land has no soil at all, the loose stone lying 
on the undecomposed sandstone; in other places the soil is only a 
few inches deep, or, if deeper, is so coarse as to be scarcely more than 
gravel. There are 69 square miles of such spruce land situated on 
Stony River, Difficult Creek, and Buffalo Creek, in Grant County, 
W. Va., and on Seneca Creek, Laurel Fork, Spruce Moimtain, and 
Tamarack Ridge, in Pendleton County, W. Va., and Highland 
County, Va,, on the very headwaters of North Branch and North 
Fork of the Potomac. This is the region of heaviest rainfall in the 



EFFECT OF FOREST COVER ON STREAM FLOW. 325 

basin (pp. 34-40) and the region where the best humus is needed. 
Of the total area of spruce land, 48 square miles, or considerably 
more than half, has been burned either before or after lumbering, 
and the humus and forest soil have been entirely destroyed. The 
burned areas are southwest of Bismarck, at the head of Stony River, 
and at the head of Buffalo Creek, in Grant County, W. Va., and on 
Spruce Mountain and along the face of the Allegheny Mountains, in 
Pendleton County, W. Va. Most of this is burned bare or has a 
scant cover of blueberry and brambles, which have gradually spread. 
Over other areas, especially where the soil is best, birch and popple 
and fire cherry are colonizing and reestablishing forest conditions- 
The area of this burned land, however, is rapidly increasing as lum- 
bering proceeds. The absence of the absorbent humus and moss 
over these thin-soiled areas, where it is most necessary, must have 
an appreciable influence on the movement of storm waters in the 
streams which drain these areas. No turbidity comes directly from 
this land. 

While the reestablishment of normal humus conditions would 
undoubtedly have a beneficial effect in alleviating the danger from 
high floods, the division of the forest into so large a number of nar- 
row strips on the mountains, its diverse o\vnership, its location in 
four States, and the rapid progress of lumbering assure a progressive 
accentuation of the unfavorable conditions. 

MELTING OF SNOW. 

High turbidity usually accompanies the spring floods of April and 
May caused by the melting of the snow on the mountains at the head 
of the river, especially on the Allegheny Mountains. The longer 
the process of melting the lower is the flood crest and the lower the 
accompanying turbidity. The coniferous forests are instrumental 
in prolonging the melting of the snow. Near Hancock, Md., at an 
elevation of 600 feet above sea level, a 20-inch snow which fell dur- 
ing March, 1906, was nine days longer in melting beneath the cover 
of Jersey pines than on adjacent field land with the same soil, slope, 
and aspect. At the head of the river the spruce forest, with its more 
dense foliage, must exert a greater effect than Jersey pine in prolong- 
ing melting. Some difference, though much less marked, was 
noticed in the melting of snow in the deciduous forest of oak and in 
the adjoining fields. The total area of coniferous forest in the 
Potomac basin is more than 700 square miles, and its influence 
must be considerable in distributing the crest of floods from melting 
snow, by retarding melting in the forest land and by promoting 
absorption and subterranean drainage. 



326 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN". 

PROTECTIVE FORESTS. 

The State of Pennsylvania, realizing the inability of private own- 
ers to supply the technical knowledge necessary to manage small 
forest areas in such a manner as to make them permanent earning 
investments, as well as the necessity of properly protecting by 
forests the headwaters of the large rivers of the State, has pur- 
chased extensive areas of mountain forest land within its borders. 
Portions of this land, lying on Tussey Mountain, Tuscarora and its 
associate mountains, and Jack and Green mountains, are on the 
Potomac watershed, although the greater portion is on the Susque- 
hanna, which is essentially a Pennsylvania stream. The further 
extension of this protective forest to the south and southwest, to 
include the most important mountain areas in the Potomac basin 
in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, is desirable. Where the 
States are unable to assume either the cost or the responsibility of 
acquiring and managing such large areas for the protection of interstate 
streams, this duty devolves on the Federal Government, whenever 
the States concerned grant the Government the right to acquire 
and hold such property. This right has already been granted by 
the legislatures of two of the States under consideration — Virginia 
and West Virginia — in connection with the establishment of the 
proposed Southern Appalachian Forest Reserve, and it would doubt- 
less be extended by them to include the Potomac drainage basin. 
On accoim.t of the importance of the Potomac as a source of domestic 
water supply, an Appalachian forest-reserve system could fittingly 
be inaugurated by the acquisition of the important forested moun- 
tain lands in its basin, and, with the already extensive Pennsylvania 
system, two important watei sheds of the Middle Atlantic drainage, 
the Susquehanna and Potomac, would be protected. 

The control of the waters of the East by the Federal Government 
for the benefit of the people is as important as the control of those 
of the West for extending irrigation, and the principle which under- 
lies the withholding of public money by not seUing forest land is the 
same as that which underlies the acquiring of forest land by pur- 
chase for similar purposes. 

One consideration in the selection of such forests on the Potomac 
basin should have reference to their protecting small mountain 
streams which can be utilized as sources of water supply for near-by 
towns and cities. The water .from such forest-protected basins is 
of great purity, clearness, and softness, and its general use by the 
towns is desirable, not only on their own account, since it furnishes 
them a pure supply, but because by purifying their supply these 
towns are largely eliminated as sources of typhoid fever. 

The limestone springs which are used by many towns are more 



EFFECT OF FOREST COVER ON STREAM FLOW. 327 

exposed to contamination than freestone springs. The latter are 
open only to local surface contamination, while many sink holes on 
farms, which are the dumping places for waste, communicate with 
underground streams that are in numerous places the sources of lime- 
stone springs. Many limestone springs are also streams which have 
sunk and reappeared on the surface at the spring. Numbers of such 
springs are easily traceable to streams which have sunk in the Cum- 
berland Valley, in the valley of Virginia, and on South Branch of the 
Potomac. 

Wlien the towns using springs or water from small streams which 
are open to pollution, such as that used by Chambersburg, Pa., find 
it necessary to obtain new sources of supply, either because of inade- 
quacy of their present supply or on account of its known pollution or 
questionable purity, as is the case with Leesburg, Va., no purer water 
can be obtained than that from streams of forest-protected watersheds. 
Two towns on the Potomac watershed in Pennsylvania are already 
taking advantage of the permanent purity which the Pennsylvania 
forest reserves guarantee and have made use of streams in forest 
reserves as sources of supply. These towns are Mercersburg, which 
uses Trout Run in the Tuscarora Mountains, and Waynesboro, 
which uses streams in the South Mountain Forest Reserve. The 
near-by city of Hagerstown, Md., has recently sought a purer supply 
from the streams of South Mountain in Maryland, a few miles south 
of the streams which supply Waynesboro. There is assurance neither 
of permanency or purity to its supply, however, since the watershed 
is privately owned and the number of farms is increasing, with the 
constant danger of contamination. 

Such a system of protective forests as has been suggested need not 
be designed to include the headwaters of all the streams in the basin, 
but should, primarily at least, be planned to include all those which 
now ajfford a water supply to towns of the basin or which by their 
situation will, in the future, be necessary as sources of water supply. 
With many of these towns the amount of the supply will be a matter 
for consideration as well as the purity, and the protection of the 
humus and the forest floor will be beneficial, while the regular cutting 
which would be carried on under the policy of protection forests 
would in no way jeopardize the amount or regularity of the stream 
flow. 

EXTENSION OF THE CLEARED AREA. 

While for a mountain region a large proportion of the land in the 
Potomac basin has been cleared, the limit has by no means been 
reached. During the period between 1880 and 1890 the uninter- 
rupted emigration to the West checked further clearing of rough land 
for small farms^ and on account of the agricultural depression in the 



32S THE POTOMA.C EIVEK BASIK. 

following decade there was little incentive for further extension of the 
farmed area. In fact, much land was abandoned in Franklin and 
Bedford counties, Pa., and in Allegany and Garrett counties, Md., and 
some ia Hardy, Hampshire, Mineral, and Grant counties, W. Va. 
The present feeling in the East that the West no longer offers any 
better opportunity for farming for the man of limited means than the 
East has checked emigration and given a new impetus to farming in 
this section. In addition to the fact that the man of small means, 
who twenty years ago would have gone West, is now buying a small 
farm at home, usually in timber which he clears, two other causes 
have stimulated additional clearing. (1) One of these is the release 
for farming purposes of recently logged timber land or recently 
opened coal land. Much of this land is of good quality for farming, 
and as rapidly as it is lumbered it is cleared and put in cultivation, or 
if too rough for tillage the large trees are killed by girdling, the 
ground is burned over to kill the brush, and the land is put in grass. 
The high price of sheep has made this profitable, and large areas of 
rough land, some of it extremely steep and thin soiled, are being 
sodded in this way on and along the Allegheny Mountains. Exten- 
sive areas are being opened for grass land on Laurel and Straight 
forks of North Fork of the Potomac, following the lumbering of hem- 
lock and hardwoods, and for general farming on Savage River, follow- 
ing the lumbering of hardwoods, while over the entire basin there is at 
present a steady addition to the farming area of recently lumbered 
land. (2) The extension of fruit and especially of peach culture dur- 
ing the past decade has led to the clearing of a large amount of steep, 
sandy mountain land. Some of the largest orchard districts which 
have been cleared in the past few years are on the south slope of 
Tonoloway Ridge, in Washington and Franklin counties, Pa., where 
a heavy limestone soil has been selected for apple culture. Large 
areas on the southern slopes of Town Hill, in Allegheny County, Md., 
and on Patterson Creek Mountain, Knobly Mountain, North Moun- 
tain, Jersey Mountain, and the Allegheny Front, near Keyser, have 
been cleared for peaches. Much of this land would seem to be too 
steep and the slopes too long for permanent profitable cultivation. 
While the soil beneath an orchard is protected by a cover crop during 
the winter, clean culture is given during the summer, subjecting steep 
slopes to the erosion of heavy summer rains. It is possible that with 
the lessening of the profits which are now obtained and which are due 
to the freshness of the land and the immunity from insect pests the 
portion of this land which is least favorably situated will be aban- 
doned. 

Further contraction of the forest area tends to increase the already 
large disparity between maximum and minimum flows of the streams, 
with the concomitant influences on the potability of the water. 



KELATION OF SOILS AND FOREST COVER TO WATER. 329 

TURBIDITY IN llESERVOIRS AT WASHINGTON, D. C. 

The water supply for Washington, D. C, before going to the filter 
beds usually passes through three settling reservoirs. From the 
intake at Great Falls it is piped to the Dalecarlia Reservoir, about 
eight hours being required for the journey. The water remains in the 
Dalecarlia Reservoir about one day and is then pumped to the 
Georgetown Reservoir. Thence it passes to the Washington Reser- 
voir, which is located at the filtration plant, about 5 miles distant. 
Aboxit two days are consumed in the passage from the Georgetown 
Reservou" through the Washington Reservoir and through the filter 
beds. From these beds the water passes to a distributing reservoir. 
The conduits at the reservoirs are so arranged that any reservoir can 
be cut out of service without interrupting the flow from the other 
reservoirs or from the river. 

The river water which enters the Dalecarlia Reservoir is usually 
turbid, the turbidity varying, according to the standard of the United 
States Geological Survey, from 3,000 or more during periods of flood 
in the river to 15 or 20 after long periods of little or no rainfall on the 
Potomac watershed above the intake. In general, it may be said that 
the turbidity will be in excess of 300 for about forty-three days in the 
year, above 50 and less than 300 for about one hundred and twenty- 
three days, and less than 50 for the remaining period. It will exceed 
1,000 for probably less than eighteen days. The first settling to lessen 
the turbidity takes place in the Dalecarlia Reservoir and removes the 
greater portion of the heaviest silt and a large part of the clay from the 
water, but the clearness of the water when it leaves this reservoir 
depends largely on its initial turbidity. Further clarification by 
settling, though slight compared with that which takes place in the 
Dalecarlia Reservou-, occurs in both the Georgetown and Washington 
reservoirs. The finer material which occasions most of the turbidity 
after the water leaves the Dalecarlia Reservoir settles very slowly. 
Sedimentation usually proceeds with a certain expected uniformity, a 
high percentage of turbidity being eliminated from water of a high 
turbidity and a smaller percentage from that of a lower turbidit}', 
owing to the slower settling of the finer particles which cause the low 
turbidity. The greater proportion of clarification in water of high 
turbidity is suggested by Mason as being due to the well-known ten- 
denc}^ of larger falling particles to drag down with them very fine par- 
ticles, and even matter in solution. The subsiding, heavier silt drags 
down not only much of the finest cla}", but bacteria as well. It is 
important, therefore, that the sedimentation in the Dalecarlia Reser- 
voir be as thorough and lAiinterrupted as possible, since after the set- 
tling of the heavier particles the finer material which is left, having 
failed to be carried down by the coarse material, remains in suspension a 
great while and is with difficulty eliminated from the water by further 



330 THE POTOMAC KIVEE BASIN. 

sedimentation. Only a certain proportion of it is removed by filtra- 
tion, and it follows that the lower the turbidity of the water as it goes to 
the filter beds the more pellucid the effluent. 

At different times, but usually during the winter and spring, on 
account of wave action produced by wind, sedimentation in the reser- 
voirs not only takes place very slowly and irregularly or not at all, 
but additional turbidity is acquired by the water from the scouring of 
the sides or, at shallow places, the bottoms of the reservoirs, a portion 
of the thin coating of silt and clay that has previously been deposited 
being again taken up in suspension. With this increase in turbidity 
a portion of the recently deposited bacteria are also redistributed 
through the water. 

The period of wind agitation of water in small lakes and reservoirs, 
as has been pointed out by Birge, is largely limited to the winter and 
early sprmg months, after the water has become homothermous, 
During the summer and early fall the temperature of the surface 
water becomes much higher than that of the water at the bottom of 
the reservoir, and the surface water is consequently much lighter, there 
being a warm, superficial stratum of water, the colder bottom stratum, 
and a thin stratum between them in which the temperature rapidly 
falls, called by Birge the thermocline. 

Wind agitation of water during the summer and autumn, when the 
stratified condition is present, is largely confmed to the lighter super- 
ficial layer, which does not readily mix with the dense layer at the 
bottom, and there is little churning of this bottom layer to cause 
added turbidity. The depth of the water, however, has some infiu- 
ence, the stratification being most marked and the difference in 
temperature and density greatest in deep water. The upper and 
lower layers become more uniform in thermal and physical properties 
with lessened depth, and the susceptibility to wind agitation during 
the summer increases. For this reason the deep reservoir is least 
disturbed by wave action. 

During winter and spring, however, when the temperature of the 
water is about the same throughout, constant wind action, though 
light, from any one direction, will easily cause a complete overturning 
of the water in the reservoir. The thermal resistance to wind action 
which is offered by water is greatest in summer. In the winter it is 
greater in the day than at night and greater during sunny days than 
during cloudy weather. For this reason wind agitation is at its 
maximum, during cloudy winter weather. The situation of Washing- 
ton favors the existence of a long period in which the thermal condi- 
tions are conducive to wave action. The winter and spring period is 
long; there are a large number of cloudy, windy days, and on compara- 
tively few days is the weather so cold that the reservoirs are frozen 
and protected against wind influences. 



TUKBIDITY IlSr RESERVOIKS AT WASHINGTON. 



331 



March, 1906, was a windy month, and, notwithstanding the low 
turbidity of the raw river water, except for a few periods of short 
duration, the turbidity of the water in the reservoirs remained higher 
than that in the river, exhibiting constantly the influence of wind 
action. The turbidity of the water in the Dalecarlia Reservoir 
remained so high that it was temporarily dropped from service and 
water from the river diverted direct into the Georgetown Reservoir; 
and during a short period of very high turbidity in the Georgetown 
Reservoir and lower turbidity in the river, March 9 and 10, the river 
water was pumped direct to the Washington Reservoir and thence 
to the filter beds. There was scarcely a day between March 13 and 
March 22 when the turbidity of the water in each of the reservoirs was 
not higher than that of the river water. 

After filtration the water is passed into the distributing reservoir. 
Under low wind conditions water turned into this reservoir at a tur- 
bidity of 8 or 9 will become during the day slightly clearer by sedimen- 
tation, but during this period no subsequent clarification whatever 
took place. The following table shows the influence of the wiad in 
raising the turbidity in each of the reservoirs for seventeen days in 
March: 

Turbidity record of Washington water supply, March 6-22, 1906. 





Turbidity of water at— 


Tur- 
bidity of 
effluent 
after 
filtra- 
tion. 


Tur- 
bidity of 
water in 
the dis- 
tributing 
reser- 
voir. 


Maxi- 
mum 
wind 

velocity 

(miles 

per 

hour) .a 


Total 
wind 

during 
24 hours 

(miles). 


Direction 
of wind at 

time of 
maximum 
velocity .1 


Day. 


Great 

Falls 

intake. 


Dale- 
carlia 
Reser- 
voir. 


George- 
town 

Reser- 
voir. 


Wash- 
ington 
Reser- 
voir. 


6 


820 
180 
120 
110 
95 
130 
50 
35 
26 
20 
65 
40 
28 
22 
22 
35 
40 


250 
6 350 
6 250 
6 250 
6 350 
6 350 
6 300 
6 180 
6 180 
6 250 
6 350 
6 250 

5 250 

6 180 
6 180 
6 180 
6 180 


70 

110 

6 120 

6 120 

6 110 

6 100 

100 

90 

70 

55 

45 

50 

45 

35 

28' 

26 


35 
40 
45 
65 
80 
80 
80 
65 
80 
90 
60 
55 
50 
53 
55 
45 
35 


5 
5 
5 
5 
5 




14 
11 
9 
24 
31 
15 
26 
12 
11 
21 
18 
24 
11 
13 
31 
18 
22 


146 
77 
110 
233 
327 
154 
278 
168 
160 
266 
183 
274 
138 
141 
380 
248 
302 


South. 






South. 


8 




North. 


9 




West. 


10 




West. 


11 




South. 


12 


6 
7 
8 
9 
9 
9 




Northwest. 


13 


7 
7 
8 
8 
8 




14 


Northeast. 


15 




16 


Northwest. 


17 


Northwest. 


18 




19. . 


9 
8 


8 
8 


Southeast. 


20 


Northwest. 


21 


South. 


22 


8 


8 


Northwest. 







a Wind velocity and direction taken from records ol the U. S. Weather Bureau. 
6 Reservoir not in service on account of high turbidity. 

During January, 1906, for a period of more than a week, the tur- 
bidity, both in the river and in the Dalecarlia Reservoir, was low, 
but there was a high increase in that of both the Georgetown and 
Washington reservoirs. The wind velocities were low, but the wind 
was constant, the prevailing directions being from the west and 
northwest. The high turbidity of the effluent after filtration is due 
to only a portion of the filter being in operation. 
IRK 192—07 22 



332 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIN. 

Turbidity record of Washington water supply, January 13-19, 1906. 





Turbidity of water at— 


Turbidity 
of effluent 

after 
filtration. 


Maxi- 
mum 
wind 

velocity 

(miles 

per 

hour) . 


Total 
wind 

during 
24 hours 

(miles). 




Day. 


Great 

FaUs 

intake. 


_ Dale- 
carlia 
Reser- 
voir. 


George- 
town 

Reser- 
voir. 


Wash- 
ington 
Reser- 
voir. 


Direction 
of wind at 

time of 
maximum 

velocity. 


12 


26 
85 
28 
35 
35 
30 
30 


45 
28 
28 
28 
35 
35 
30 


50 
55 
85 
80 
70 
60 
45 


70 
65 
60 
60 
60 
60 
55 


20 
20 


15 
16 
10- 
17 
28 
20 
17 


170 
248 
122 
203 
226 
183 
203 


West 


13 




14 


West 


15 


15 
12 
10 
11 


Ronth 


16 




17.. . 


West 


18 









During the summer and autumn, when the water is stratified, even 
wind velocities of 15 to 25 miles an hour usually have little effect if 
the weather is bright and warm. A five-day period of high wind — 
May 6-10, 1906, during bright, warm weather — was accompanied by 
constant decrease in the turbidity of water in the reservoirs. A 
period of cloudy and rainy weather, very cool for the season, two 
weeks later. May 24-26, so far equalized the temperature of the water 
in the reservoirs that even lighter but steady winds showed an appre- 
ciable influence in preventing sedimentation, and the effluent after 
ffltration, which normally should have shown a turbidity of 1 or less, 
rose to 3. The same effects, and usually to a greater degree, are 
apparent on windy, cloudy days, especially when cold, throughout 
every month in the year. The comparatively low velocity of the 
wind which occasionally, especially during the winter months, causes 
high turbidity, suggests the use of wind-breaks of heavy-foliaged, 
coniferous trees around the reservoirs, or at least on those sides from 
which the prevailing winter and spring winds blow, which are now 
unprotected. 

To be most efficient a wind-break must begin a few feet back of the 
water level of the reservoir. The shelter power of a wind-break is 
variously estimated, but for winds of low velocity such as prevail here, 
even a low wind-break would lessen wind action for a considerable 
distance from the edge of the reservoir. The overturning of the 
water would require higher winds and would be less complete. Libo- 
cedrus or a mixture of Li^ocedrus and Norway spruce would probably 
be sufficiently tolerant not to become open below until 50 feet high, 
when they could be underplanted with a more tolerant species, or 
rows of young trees could be planted behind them. These species 
will also probably stand the warm summers and autumns of Wash- 
ington, on account of the high humidity. Hemlock would be an 
ideal tree but for its slow growth, while the native red cedar has a 
desirable shape, but is too small and too intolerant. 

The Dalecarlia Reservoir, where the raw water is received from 
the Potomac, and where the first settling of the coarsest matter in 



TURBIDITY IN EESERVOIRS AT WASHINGTON. 333 

suspension takes place, is an irregularly shaped basin with an extreme 
length, including the narrow arms, of more than half a mile. The 
depth of the water in many of the arms and over a considerable portion 
of the body of the reservoir, owing to settling up by the sediment 
which has been deposited from the water for many years, is less than 
12 feet, and at the end of one of the arms it is even more shallow, the 
bottom sloping up from a depth of about 9 feet to the shore. This 
reservoir occupies a deep valley, with partly wooded hills rising more 
or less abruptly from the edges of the reseryoir to heights of 50 to 
200 feet, the summits of the hills lying from one-eighth to one-half 
mile distant from the reservoir. The reservoir valley is entirely open 
toward the south end, through which it drains into the river, and at 
the northwest end, where it is fed by a small stream. There are 
several other deep diverging gorges, two of which are sufficiently 
deep to hold arms of the reservoir. 

The highest hills, rising more than 200 feet above the surface of 
the water in the reservoir, lie to the north and east, but their sum- 
mits are about half a mile distant from the reservoir, and probably 
only the steep lower slopes, with a height not exceeding 100 feet, 
afford any protection to the reservoir as a wind barrier. On the 
south and west sides the hills are only about 65 feet above the sur- 
face of the water, and on account of the great length of the reser- 
voir they protect less than half of it from southwesterly and westerly 
winds. The greater portion of the west end of the reservoir is 
exposed to winds which come up the open south valley. A portion 
of the west end of the reservoir is'likewise unprotected from north- 
erly winds, which would follow the north prong of the valley, or 
from northeasterly winds, which would follow the east prong of the 
valley. 

The rebound of the wind from the steep slopes on the eastern side 
of the reservoir and the wind currents which follow the gorge-like 
valleys possibly explain the quick response of the water to winds 
of even low velocity. The period when this agitation is most con- 
stant and most pronounced is the season of defoliation of the hard- 
wood timber on the surrounding slopes, when these trees are of least 
efficiency as a windbreak. It is pointed out by Professor Bigelow, 
of the Weather Bureau, that local windstorms frequently follow 
these narrow, gorge-like valleys, either in converging toward Potomac 
River or in spreading from it. 

This constant wind action during the spring at the Dalecarlia 
Reservoir can be reduced by the construction of breakwaters, one 
across the northwestern arm and one across the southern arm. The 
tops of the breakwaters should be 20 feet wide, and a double row of 
evergreen trees should be planted alternately along each, whichwill 
still further decrease the amount of water surface exposed to the 



334 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

full sweep of the wind, by protecting parts of the body of the reser- 
voir from winds which come through the southern and northern 
gorges. Similar breakwaters could be placed across the other arms 
and one across the middle of the reservoir, the tops of all being 
planted with a double row of evergreen trees. Every contraction of 
the large unbroken water surface, which is now offered for wave 
action, as well as any diversion of the wind from the surface of the 
water, will be beneficial. It is desirable to have the settling which 
takes place in this reservoir as perfect as possible irrespective of 
whether the sides of the reservoir are paved or not, since the clearness 
with which the water leaves this reservoir in large measure controls 
the condition of the effluent of the filter. Undisturbed subsidence 
of the coarser silt is very desirable, as has been previously explained, 
since when this takes place much of the very fine suspended matter, 
including bacteria as well as the clay particles, is carried to the 
bottom by the silt as it descends. 

The Georgetown Reservoir is situated about 200 yards north of 
Potomac River, on the south slope of the river hills. It is about 
75 feet above the river, while to the north the hill gradually rises, 
within the distance of a mile, about 200 feet higher than the reservoir. 
It is entirely exposed to winds from the northwest and west, which 
come down the river gorge, and to those from the east, southeast, 
and south, which come up the river. On account of the gentle 
slope of the hills to the north the shelter afforded by them is slight. 
A breakwater separates the reservoir, which is nearly a third of a 
mile long, into two lagoons and lessens the violence of wind action, 
especially under high northwest winds. The southern and south- 
eastern sides of the reservoir are formed by high banks, which have 
been built up and are rather steep on the outside. Except at a few 
points along these banks, where some additional banking to broaden 
the crest might be necessary, there is room around the entire reser- 
voir for a double row of trees for a windbreak, and in places for 
three or more rows: Protection against wind is especially desirable 
on the west, northwest, and southwest sides of the reservoir, since 
these are the directions of the prevailing winds during winter and 
spring, when the water is in an unstable condition and lacks ade- 
quate thermal stratification to prevent overturning. The planting 
of the breakwater is also desirable. 

The Washington City Reservoir is situated at the northeastern 
edge of the city, on an abrupt rise about 120 feet above the river 
and more than 2 miles distant from it. To the southwest and south the 
country is lower than the reservoir, and the wind has no check when 
coming from these directions. To the north and west nearby build- 
ings and the gently sloping hills on which Petworth and the Soldiers' 
Home are situated rise much above the reservoir. The slope of 



TUKBIDITY IN BESERVOIRS AT WASHINGTON. 335 

these hills, however, is so gradual that their protective value is 
doubtful. The reservoir, which has a surface of about 45 acres, is 
about one-fourth mile long and crescent shaped, and since its longer 
dimension lies northwest and southeast, both the high northwesterly 
winds of winter and the southeasterly winds of early spring have 
unchecked play upon the surface. At times when the water is 
unstratified a breakwater in the center would lessen churning from 
wind. Its sides should be paved and its top sufficiently widened 
for two rows of trees to be planted. Windbreaks of three rows of 
trees should be planted on the north, west, and south sides of the 
reservoir. On the northeast side the filter beds are so close to the 
reservoir that not more than two rows can be planted. 



THE EFFECT OF SOME INDUSTRIAL WASTES 

ON FISHES. 



By M. C. Marsh. 



INTROr>ITCTIOX. 

At the instance of the United States Geological Survey, through 
which most of the samples were furnished, the experiments herein 
detailed were made by the United States Bureau of Fisheries for the 
purpose of learning the approximate concentrations at which the 
various industrial and other pollutions flowing into the Potomac 
basin are fatal to the food and game fishes of the region. The 
sources of the industrial wastes with which experiments were made 
are discussed on pages 191-246. 

The species on which the observations were chiefly made are the 
large-mouthed black bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede) and the 
yellow perch (Perca Jlavescens Mitchill). These were selected as typ- 
ical species of the Potomac fresh-water fishes, comparatively hardy 
and prolific, and valuable both as game and food. The perch were 
young and vigorous individuals, about 15 cm. in length, taken from 
the fish lakes of the Bureau of Fisheries in Washington. They were 
hatched naturally in Potomac River and had strayed through the 
screens of the ponds when small. The black bass were young fish of 
a length of 7 to 12 cm. and were hatched and reared in these fish lakes. 

The bass and perch were brought from the lakes in small lots at 
short intervals and held in flowing tap water, and may be considered 
equal in vigor and resisting powers to normal wild fish not affected 
by aquarium conditions. When any material difference of tempera- 
ture existed between the water from which the fish were taken and 
the pollution or dilution into which they were transferred the change 
of temperature was gradually made. 
« In addition to these two species a few salmon and trout fry and 
others were used as indicated in the discussion. The "shiner" is 
Notropis hudsonius. 

The reaction of water which will support fish life must be slightly 
alkaline. When the' water becomes even slightly acid fishes can not 
live in it, and in experimenting with acid pollutions the alkalinity of 

337 



338 THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 

the water used as a diluent of course affects the results. In all the 
present trials Potomac service water was used for diluting the pollu- 
tions and for the controls. Its alkalinity was determined at inter- 
vals during the winter by titration with decinormal sulphuric acid, 
methyl orange indicator, and varied from 46 to 52 parts per million 
of calcium carbonate equivalent. 

METHODS. 

The conditions under which foreign substances exercise an effect 
on fishes in the streams can not for the most part be exactly dupli- 
cated in the laboratory. A continual flow of water impregnated con- 
stantly with a known amount of the foreign matter under observation 
has not been practicable in these tests. The method followed con- 
sisted in making a known dilution of the pollution with Potomac tap 
water, introducing a small number of fish into the dilution held in 
open glagfe jars at the room temperature and leaving them until they 
died or until the experiment was otherwise ended. 

All pollutions were tried with no aeration of the dilution save that 
occurring spontaneously at the surface, and many of them were in 
addition tried with artificial aeration by introducing at the bottom of 
the jar a continuous current of air broken into minute bubbles by 
passing it through linden plugs, as is usual in maintaining large 
aquaria. The volume of the diluted pollution used in a single trial 
was usually 10 liters, but varied from 5 to 30 liters. The fish were 
not fed while subjected to the trials. In the cases where a dilution 
failed to kill the trial was continued as long as circumstances allowed, 
in some instances two or three months. Controls were carefully 
carried and are separately discussed. 

It is obvious that these laboratory conditions differ in some impor- 
tant particulars from those prevailing in polluted streams. In the 
first place, the fishes can not be subjected for very long periods to the 
influence of the pollution, for other causes will terminate the experi- 
ment, and thus the long-continued influence of very diluted pollutions 
which are not fatal for short periods are not covered. The aeration 
which occurs in flowing streams is greater than in standing dilutions 
and less than in dilutions artificially aerated as described, and aera- 
tion in many cases modifies considerably the polluting agent. The 
fish in jars are of course held under very unnatural conditions as to 
their immediate surroundings, particularly in the matter of space, 
but this does not complicate the matter much, since in aquaria with 
flowing water they may be held almost indefinitely. 

Notwithstanding these differences between the experimental pollu- 
tion and that naturally occurring, which obviously impair the accu- 
racy of the results in the one case as applied to the other, it is equally 
obvious that information of value may be obtained and that reliable 



EFFECT OF SOME INDUSTRIAL WASTES ON FISHES. 339 

inferences may be drawn from such experiments. Standing dilutions 
without artificial aeration, which are quickly fatal, will be likewise 
fatal in natural waters, and standing dilutions copiously aerated, 
which are uniformly fatal even after considerable time, would be prac- 
tically certain to kill in the same or shorter period in streams. Where 
unaerated dilutions fail to kill during exposures which termkiate 
after a few days, it is not unreasonable to make some inference respect- 
ing the further dilution necessary to render the pollution harmless, 
remembering that an acclimating process will tend to offset the 
influence of the more prolonged exposure. 

The temperature of the dilutions was substantially that of the 
controls. 

A check jar in Potomac water was not set for every trial, but a 
series of checks was started at different times covering the whole 
series of pollution experiments. The results from the fish in the 10- 
liter samples of Potomac water are given in the accompanying table 
and show that one perch and one bass will live for weeks in that amount 
of water standing without other than the natural surface aeration, 
without food and at a temperature between 15° and 20° C. They 
may be summed up briefly, as follows : 

In three trials one small bass lived an average of 72 days in 10 liters 
of water, and none less than 50 days. In two trials a perch lived 44 
and 46 days, respectively, in the former case nearly half the water 
evaporating, owing to the greater surface area. In two trials with two 
bass in each, one died after 55 days and the other in the same jar 
after 71 days. In the other jar one died after 69 days, while the other 
was alive at the close of this record, on the seventy-fourth day. 

In eight trials with one bass and one perch together in 10 liters both 
survived an average period of 24 days. There is considerable indi- 
vidual variation, for among these eight trials, the fish being selected 
by chance from presumably healthy individuals in the supply tank, 
in one case the bass died on the third day, while in another neither 
fish died until the forty -third day. Some unnoticed injury may 
possibly account for the death of this bass within 3 days. 

One bass 3 inches long in 5 liters of water in a McDonald hatching 
jar, with occasional aeration, lived 102 days, the surface area of water 
exposed to the air being 215 sq. cm. 

In general the fish in Potomac water survived much longer than 
the fatal periods for fish in polluted water and fulfilled their office as 
controls for the latter. 

In the few cases where the pollution trial was carried on in a vol- 
ume less than 10 liters accompanying controls were set of which no 
further statement is made. The control is implied if not expressed, 
and no uncontrolled results are included in the statements of fatal 
concentrations. 



340 



THE POTOMAC KIVEE BASIN. 



Each pollution or refuse matter which is customarily thrown into 
the waters of the Potomac or its tributaries will be described briefly, 
and the quantity or concentration necessary to kill stated as nearly 
as the experiments permit. The concentration is expressed as parts 
of the pollution sample in parts of the dilution. For example, " 1 in 
100" means 1 part of the pollution as received, plus 99 parts of water 
by volume or a 1 per cent solution. 

The following table shows the results of experiments in 10-liter 
samples of Potomac water in glass jars; temperature of water, 4.5° to 
8° C. at beginning, fluctuating with the room temperature, and never 
higher than 20° C; area of exposed surface of water, 500 sq. cm. 
unless otherwise stated: 

Results of experiments onfisTi in Potomac service water. 



Date of beginning. 


Numb 
Perch. 


erof— 
Bass. 


Length 
of bass 
(cm.). a 


Perch 
lived 
(days). 


Bass 
Uved 
(days). 


Remarks. 






1 
1 


7.5 
7.5 


44' 

46 

ii' 

is' 

17 
34 
37 
41 
43 


50 
92 

3 

7 

f 55 

1 71 

f 69 

1 678 

678 

13 

50 

34 

37 

55 

66 




Do 






Do 


1 

1 

1 
1 


967 sq. cm. water surface exposed; 4.3 

liters evaporated. 
2 liters evaporated; 4 e. c. of oxygen per 

liter after 18 days. 
Abandoned on third day. 


Do 






January 21 

January 31 

February 9 . . . . 


1 

1 

2 
2 


11 
U 

11 

11 

10 
11-12 

16 
11-12 
11-12 

9.5 
11-12 


Do 






Do .. 






February 15 

Do 


1 

} 

1 

1 
1 




Do 


Perch spawned alter thirty-first day. 


Do 


Do 

Do 





a The length of the individual perch was not taken, 11s they were all of nearly the same size— from 12.5 
to 1.5 cm. 
6 Alive at close of record. 



PAPER A.^T) PUIiP MTIiT. WASTES. 

Spruce fiber. — This consists of coarse short fibers of spruce wood 
which do not pass through the screen that separates the finer fibers 
from the pulp made by grinding the logs. It was received from mills 
at Harpers Ferry, W. Va., in damp balls which lost about 38 per cent 
in weight by air drying. 

One kilogram of the damp fibers in 28 liters of tap water failed to 
kill or apparently harm black bass during 10 days. During the first 
4 days the fibers were held in a cheese-cloth bag, and during the 
remainder of the time they were free in the water without causing 
any mechanical injury, though the fish were annoyed when the fibers 
were occasionally distributed by stirring. The bass were about 6 
inches in length, and the water was constantly aerated. 

Spruce strips or shavings, partly harJc. — These are silverings from 
the outer portion of the log and include both wood and bark. 



EFFECT OP SOME INDUSTRIAL WASTES ON FISHES. 341 

Two hundred and fifty grams of the shavings, in 28 liters of water, 
with continuous aeration, was fatal to bass within 24 hours. Fifty 
grams was not fatal during 7 days, though the solution became very 
dark brown. A small constant flow of water prevents any fatal 
effect. Three hundred c. c. per minute passing through 2 kilograms 
of the shavings held in a 30-liter jar failed to kill bass during 7 days, 
the brown tinge of extracted bark disappearing from the effluent 
after the first day. 

Spruce hark. — One hundred grams of the bark stripped or cut from 
the above-mentioned shavings, in 28 liters of water, with aeration, 
killed bass within 19 hours. Fifty grams failed to kill during 3 days. 
The woody portion of the shavings without the bark has no effect. 

Poplar chips and dust. — When logs are prepared for digesting to 
pulp by cutting instead of grinding, the product of the cutter is 
screened. That which passes the screen is the dust referred to and 
the larger pieces' the chips. The two portions differ only in the size 
of the pieces, the dust consisting of particles larger than coarse saw- 
dust, while the chips are much larger. This material was from the 
mill at Luke, Md. 

The aqueous extract from both chips and dust is fatal, the latter 
more rapidly so, since it extracts more readily. One kilogram of the 
chips, free and floating in 28 liters of water, with aeration, killed 10 
quinnat salmon fry within 17 hours, the solution being colored 
slightly brown. Five hundred grams killed 2 out of 10 fry within 22 
hours, 8 within 30 hours, and all within 50 hours. Three hundred 
grams of the dust, wrapped in cheese cloth, killed 10 fry within 22 
hours, the water .taking on a brown tinge within one-half hour. One 
hundred grams killed 10 fry between the third and fourth days. 

Five hundred grams of the chips were placed in 28 liters, with aera- 
tion, and 1 mummichog, 1 sunfish, 1 goldfish, and 1 shiner were intro- 
duced. Four days later 1 kilogram of chips was added, but after 10 
days all were alive. Three hundred grams of dust, wrapped in cheese 
cloth, were placed in 28 liters, with aeration, and 1 each of the species 
named added. They soon showed symptoms of being affected, but 
did not succumb, and on the fourth day 500 grams of dust were 
added. On the seventh day the mummichog and shiner were dead, 
but after 10 days no more deaths had occurred. 

The action of fish in poplar-wood extract was unusual and seemed 
to be characteristic. They came to the surface when its effects began 
to be felt, but not for lack of oxygen, since the water was constantly 
aerated. Later they swam about in a slanting position, and the sal- 
mon fry assumed the perpendicular, some of them whirling slowly or 
rapidly on a vertical axis before succumbing. 



342 



THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. 



Sulphite liquor."- — This is the spent liquor from the digesters in 
paper-pulp manufacture by the sulphite process, and is a dark-brown 
liquid of peculiar odor, markedly acid in reaction, and of 1.028 spe- 
cific gravity at 11° C. It is a complex of imperfectly known sub- 
stances designated technically as "sulphonated lignone bisulphite 
compounds," and is a waste of considerable importance occurring in 
Jarge amounts in some regions. These samples were from the West 
Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, Covington, Va. The following 
table gives the results in detail: 

Effect of sulphite liquor on perch, boss, and broolc-trout fry. 



[lO-liter dilutions for perch and bass; 


1 to 3 liters for trout fry. 
of each species.] 


Perch and bass 


trials with 1 individual 


Dilution. 


Time (hours) required to kill- 


Perch. 


Bass. 


Brook-trout fry. 


Without aeration: 

1 in 10 . 




2J 
4J 




Iin20 






1 in 30 . 




22 (all of 12). 
22-41 (all of 12). 
48 (9 of 12) . 


1 in 40. . . 






Im50 






1 in 60 


76 
70 


47 
43 




1 in 70 . 




1 in 75. . . 


113 (10 of 12). 


1 in 80 


46 
52 
46 

70 


46 

a 17 

29 

70 

a 18 

89 

48 

olO 


1 in 100 




1 in 120 




Iinl40. 




1 in 150 




1 in 170 






1 in 200 






1 in 200 (second trial) 






With aeration: 

lin50 


C) 









a Days 



f> Not killed in 27 days. 



The marked irregularity in the reaction of the fishes to the sulphite 
liquor is presumably due to their individual variation. Even with 
the rather extended series of trials the dilution which is certainly 
harmless to bass and perch can not be stated, but may be inferred to 
be slightly weaker than 1 in 200. Brook-trout fry in the sac stage are 
more resistant to the sulphite than either bass or perch. Aeration of 
the dilutions lessens their toxicity very markedly, 1 in 50 with 
continuous artificial aeration failing to kill either bass or perch during 
27 days, when the trial was abandoned. It has, in fact, been suggested 
that the harmful effects of sulphite pollution in streams were due to 
the abstraction of dissolved oxygen from the water by the oxidizable 
sulphite and the consequent suffocation of fishes. Determinations of 
the oxygen on sulphite dilutions protected from the air appear to 
show that no loss of dissolved oxygen sufficient to account for the 
death of fishes occurs. A long, narrow-necked flask, holding about 
1,300 c. c, was filled to the brim with a 1 in 100 sulphite dilution at 3° 



a One sample of this was furnished by Dr. E. C. Levy, director of the laboratory of the city water 
department, Richmond, Va. 



EFFECT OF SOME INDUSTRIAL WASTES ON FISHES. 343 

C. (tap water) and kept for 23 hours at 14° C. The dissolved gases 
were then boiled off and 6.5 c. c. of oxygen per liter were found, 
which is not much short of air saturation. Since there was a slight 
exposure to the atmosphere the experiment was repeated, using a 1 in 
25 dilution at 14.5° completely sealed and held for 19 hours, at the 
end of which period its temperature was 18° C. and it contained 
4 c. c. of oxygen per liter. A 1 in 25 dilution causes the death of all 
ordinary fishes in a few hours, but this could not occur from suffoca- 
tion in water thus oxygenated. 

Bleach sludge. — A clear, colorless, strongly alkaline liquid of 1.006 
specific gravity at 9° C. and containing a heavy white sediment. 
The clear liquor alone was used. Chloride of lime is the basis of the 
bleaching liquor. This waste comes from paper-pulp manufacture by 
the soda-lime process. 

In unaerated dilutions 1 in 300 killed perch within 23. hours, and 1 
in 400 on the ninth day; 1 in 500 was abandoned as not fatal after 14 
days. In aerated dilutions 1 in 300 killed perch in 20 to 44 hours and 
1 in 400 was not fatal during 5 days. Aeration does not materially 
affect the toxicity. 

TANNERY WASTES. 

"Sour hark liquor.""- — A dark-colored acid waste containing small 
amounts of tannic acid from the aqueous extraction of oak bark; 
specific gravity 1.005 at 17° C. 

In unaerated dilutions 1 in 2 killed sunfish in 30 minutes; 1 in 10 
killed bass, perch, and shiners in 16 hours, 1 in 20 within 24 hours, 1 
in 30 within 30 hours, and 1 in 40 within 24 hours; 1 in 50 failed to 
kill bass during 65 hours. 1 in 30, aerated, failed to kill bass and 
shiners during 47 hours. The dilutions darken in color very rapidly 
with aeration and more slowly when standing without artificial 
aeration. 

''Rocker sour baric liquor." °- — A brownish, cloudy, acid liquor labeled 
"valueless in tannic acid;" specific gravity 1.007 at 10° C. 

Unaerated, 1 in 30 fatal to bass in 41 to 68 hours; 1 in 60 failed to 
kill bass during 9 days, but was fatal to perch in 20 hours; 1 in 100 
killed perch in 22 hours, 1 in 120 in 3 days, and 1 in 140 failed to kill 
perch in 4 days. Aerated, 1 in 20 fatal to bass in 18 hours; 1 in 30 
not fatal during 6 days, but killed perch in 16 hours; 1 in 40 killed 
perch in 17 hours. Perch are much more susceptible to this liquor 
than bass. Like the other bark liquors, the dilutions grow very dark 
by exposure to air. 

"Dye-house liquor.""- — A greenish liquid with some dark sediment 
about neutral in reaction; specific gravity 1.003 at 16° C. ; without 
pronounced taste. Dilutions have a yellow color and the undiluted 

1 From tannery of W. D. Byron & Sons, Williamsport, Md. 



344 THE POTOMAC KIVER BASIK. 

liquor tinges the stock bottle a yellow color, which does not readily 
wash out. 

Undiluted and unaerated, bass are killed in 1| hours. Unaerated, 
1 in 2 was fatal to bass and perch in 19 hours; 1 in 5 to bass in 24 hours; 
1 in 6 to perch and bass in 43 hours; 1 in 8 to bass in 20 hours, to 
perch in 23 to 42 hours; 1 in 10 to bass in 11 days, but failed to kill 
perch in 12 days; 1 in 15 failed to kill perch in 31 days, but killed bass 
in 9 days. The fish killed by the stronger dilutions were dyed yellow 
in color. 

"Bate.""- — A straw-colored liquor; specific gravity 1.004 at 9° C; 
alkalinity 400 parts per million (Ca CO3 equivalent); contains caustic 
lime. 

The undiluted liquor killed a bass in 20 minutes. Unaerated, 1 in 5 
killed bass in 16 hours, 1 in 6 in 4 days; 1 in 7 and 1 in 10 failed to kill 
during 4 days. 

") " SoaJc liquor" from Mdes.^ — A colorless neutral liquid, of 1.002 
specific gravity. It contains merely small amounts of sodium chlo- 
ride soaked from the hides preserved in salt and appears to be harm- 
less, the aerated undiluted liquor failing to affect bass during 4 days. 

A sample of only 1 liter from Cumberland, Md., labeled "sample 
from soaks" is apparently of a similar nature, but was too small for 
extended trials. Undiluted and aerated, a bass was killed within 18 
hours, but the fish was anemic and unhealthy at the beginning. A 
perch died in a 1 in 3 aerated dilution after 15 days, but since this 
fish had survived previous experiments with other pollutions, and 
the dilution was less than 3 liters in volume, the result tends rather 
to show that the soak has no toxic properties. 

Bass changed directly from fresh Potomac water into a solution 
of common commercial salt of 1.025 specific gravity, which is approxi- 
mately the density of sea water, are killed within a few minutes. 
Bass were killed in less than 16 hours, perch within 42 hours, by 
transfer from fresh water to a 1.015 solution. The change from fresh 
water to a 1.010 solution failed to kill either during 14 days. 

"Sour liquor tail handler." — An acid liquor of pinkish color and foul 
odor, extracted originally from hemlock bark; specific gravity, 1.013. 

Unaerated, 1 in 15 killed bass in 4 hours; 1 in 20 in 6 hours; 1 in 
30 bass, perch, and mummichogs in 18 hours; sunfish in 24 hours; 
1 in 40 killed bass and perch in 17 hours; 1 in 50 killed bass in 24 
hours, perch in 29 hours; 1 in 60 killed bass in 29 hours and failed 
to kill perch in 54 hours. Aerated, 1 in 10 killed a shiner in 30 min- 
utes, bass in 2 hours; 1 in 30 killed a mummichog in 41 hours, perch 
in 19 hours; 1 in 35 and 1 in 40 killed perch and bass in 17 hours; 
1 in 50 failed to kill perch and bass during 5 days. The dilutions 

a From tannery of W. D. Byron & Sons, Williamsport, Md. 

b From tannery of Hambleton Leather Company, Hambleton, W. Va. 



EFFECT OF SOME INDUSTRIAL WASTES ON FISHES. 345 

are darkened by exposure to air, this taking place more rapidty when 
they are artificially aerated, which turns them grayish black. 

''Lime liquor."'^ — ^A small sample of liquor showing caustic lime 

alkalinity. 

Unaerated, 1 in 20 killed perch in 5^ hours, while 1 in 50 was not 
fatal during a trial of 30 days. 

"Sam fie from hair washer."'^ — A cloudy grayish liquid, of 1.004 spe- 
cific gravity at 14° C, and alkalinity 630 parts per million. 

Unaerated, 1 in 10 killed perch in less than 17 hours, 1 in 20 in 
less than 23 hours, and 1 in 50 failed to kill during 13 days. 

Lime and sodium sulpTiide. ^ — A dirty-yellowish, strongly alkaline 
(4,000 parts per million) liquor, specific gravity 1.015 at 7° C. 

Unaerated, with bass, 1 in 5 fatal in 30 minutes, 1 in 120 in 70 
hours, 1 in 150 failed to kill during 43 days, 1 in 180 fatal in 90 hours; 
with perch, 1 in 10 fatal in less than 20 hours, 1 in 40 in 19 hours, 
1 in 100 in 21 hours, 1 in 160 in 20 hours, 1 in 180 not fatal during 
4 days, and 1 in 200 not fatal during 44 days. Aerated, 1 in 100 
killed perch in 17 hours, 1 in 150 killed perch in one case in 24 hours, 
in another only after 8 days. Brook-trout fry in the sac stage are' 
more resistant than either perch or bass. With unaerated dilutions 
1 liter in volume, at 10° C, 1 in 40 killed all of 12 fry in less than 17 
hours, 1 in 50 killed 9 of 15 in 40 hours, and 1 in 80 killed 7 of 12 in 
40 hours. 

This liquor is the most toxic of all the tannery pollutions examined. 

DYE WASTES FROM KNITTING Mllil^S.^ 

Spent clirome liquor. — A brownish, transparent, strongl}'^ acid liquor, 
of 1.005 specific gravity at 10° C. 

Undiluted, the liquor killed bass in 1 hour. Unaerated, 1 in 10 
killed bass in 3 hours, 1 in 20 in 20 hours, 1 in 30 in 16 hours, 1 in 40 
in 45 hours, 1 in 50 in 44 hours, 1 in 60 not fatal in 45 hours ; 1 in 30 
fatal to perch in 24 hours, and 1 in 50 not fatal during 4 days. Aer- 
ated, 1 in 30 killed bass in 25 hours, 1 in 40 in 43 hours, 1 in 50 in 
4 days, 1 in 60 in 43 hours, 1 in 70 in 48 hours; 1 in 30 and 1 in 60 
failed to Idll perch in 14 days. 

This liquor acts as a coagulant of the turbidity in Potomac water. 

Spent dye liquor. — ^A brownish, nearly neutral liquid, specific gravity 
1.010 at 10° C. 

The undiluted and unaerated liquor was fatal to bass in 3 hours. 
Unaerated, 1 in 2 was fatal to bass in 20 hours, 1 in 5 in 17 hours, 
1 in 7 in 3 days, and 1 in 10 only after 88 days. The bass in 1 in 10 
received no food and its death was no doubt hastened by starvation. 

a From tannery of United States Leather Company, Cumberland, Md. 

6 From J. R. Cover & Sons, Elkton, Md. 

From mill of Blue Ridge Knitting Company, Hagerstown, Md. 



346 ' THE POTOMAC EIVER BASIN/ 

This dilution, though of a marked brownish-yellow color, is probably 
entirely harmless, and the result may be regarded as a control. 
Unaerated, 1 in 8.5 failed to kill perch during 8 days. 

SEWAGE. 

Sewage from human habitations is fatal to fishes on account of the 
exhaustion of the dissolved oxygen caused by the luxviriant growth 
of aerobic bacteria. Ten liters from the Seventeenth street canal 
in Washington killed bass and perch in less than 17 hours when the 
sewage was not aerated. Another portion aerated artificially failed 
to kill during the 53 hours in which the fish were kept under observa- 
tion. A sample from the James Creek canal, unaerated, killed perch 
and bass at the end of 16 hours. With aeration no deaths or distress 
occurred during 48 hours. In the unaerated samples the fish give 
evidence of sufi^ocation, leaping about spasmodically and then sinking 
weakly to the bottom as if exhausted. Oxygen determinations after 
the death of the fish showed about 1 c. c. per liter, and a sample in 
which no fishes had been held contained scarcely more. 

WASTES FROM MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS. 

Illuminating gas is itself markedly fatal to fishes. Gas from the 
service pipes was allowed to bubble into 20 liters of tap water near 
the surface for 3 to 4 minutes, and the resulting solution killed a perch 
within 20 hours. 

WASTES FROM THE WATER-GAS PROCESS. 

Filter effluent. — A cloudy grayish liquid with a moderate odor of 
gas; specific gravity 1.00 at 24° C. This is the efiiuent from filter 
beds which remove the tarry oils at the plant of the Washington Gas 
Light Company. 

Undiluted and unaerated, it was fatal to bass within 6 minutes. 
Unaerated, 1 in 10 killed bass in 22 hours, 1 in 20 killed perch in 68 
hours, 1 in 30 failed to kill perch during 32 days, and in 1 in 50 a 
perch spawned after 24 days and died the next day. Control perch 
usually died after spawning. 

Tar from wells. — This sample consisted of two parts, a floating 
black tarry liquor and a grayish watery liquid beneath. 

The lighter liquid, which floats diluted 1 in 1,000, unaerated, killed 
a perch in a few minutes, and 1 in 100,000 caused evident distress 
within 9 hours, but did not kill until the fifth day. 

The heavier grayish liquid, diluted to 1 in 40, unaerated, was fatal 
to perch within a few hours, while 1 in 80 failed to kill during 34 
days and 1 in 100 had no effect during a trial of 21 days. 

Tarry liquor. — A black, tarry, strongly aromatic liquor, lighter 
than water; specific gravity 0.95 at 21° C. It has the highest toxicity 



EFFECT OF SOME INDUSTEIAL WASTES ON PISHES. 347 

of all the wastes of whatever nature with which experiments were 
made. It does not visibly mix with water, but spreads out in a film 
on the surface. The dilutions were made by volume, as in other 
cases, though evidently only a small portion of the liquor attains 
solution in the water. 

Eight solutions stronger than 1 in 100,000 were fu'st tried, but all 
were fatal in a few minutes or hours. Unaerated, 20 liters of 1 in 
100,000 killed perch m 102 to 117 hours; 1 in 200,000, in 100 to 115 
hours; 1 in 300,000, in 52 to 67 hours, and 1 in 400,000 killed a perch 
in 12 days, but failed to kill bass during 41 days. A solution of 1 in 
500,000 was made up by weighing off 40 milligrams of the liquor in a 
watch glass and placing it with the glass in 20 liters of water. Two 
perch lived in this for 24 days, when one spawned and both died the 
next day. The weather had become warm and the temperature of 
the dilution reached 19° C. A dilution of 1 in 500,000 may be con- 
sidered practically harmless to perch and bass. 

Aeration reduces markedly the poisonous effect. Aerated, 1 in 
60,000 killed one perch in 24 hours, another after 3 days; 1 in 80,000 
failed to kill during 11 days, and 1 in 100,000 during 9 days. 

The sealing of the water from contact with the air, by means of 
the surface film, may possibly contribute slightly to the harmful 
effects in the higher dilutions not artificially aerated. That the sub- 
stance is tremendously poisonous, however, is evident from the fact 
that even dilutions as weak as 1 in 40,000 kill in a very few hours, 
long' before the exhaustion of oxygen could play a part. Moreover, 
the symptoms at death are manifestly not those of suffocation. Nearly 
all the fishes dying from gas wastes in the higher dilutions display 
characteristic movements. There is a rapid nervous fluttering of 
the fins, particularly the pectorals, with rapid respiration, and the 
body may assume the perpendicular. The}^ sometimes appear to be 
dying for days before they finally succumb. 

WASTES FROM THE COAL-GAS PROCESS. 

Tar from wells. — This is ordinary coal tar, a thick black liquid 
with the typical odor. When dropped into water, the main portion 
of the drop siaks, while a lesser part separates and spreads gradually 
into a surface film. 

The dilutions were not made volumetrically. The amount desired 
was weighed in drops on a strip of bristol board and then smeared in a 
thin layer and the strip placed in the measured quantity of water, 
which was stirred thoroughly. Only unaerated dilutions were used. 
One of 1 to 4,000 (5 grams of tar in 20 liters of water) was fatal to 
perch within less than 19 hours, 1 to 66,666 was fatal to both bass 
and perch in 4 days, and 1 to 200,000 failed to- kill perch during a 
trial of 34 days. 

lER 192—07 23 



348 THE POTOMAC EIVEB BASIN. 

Ammoniacal liquor. "■ — A nearly clear pink liquid of marked ammo- 
niacal odor, specific gravity 1.029 at 14° C. 

Unaerated, 1 in 100 killed perch in 5 minutes; 1 in 1,000, in 40 
minutes; 1 in 2,000, in less than 18 hours, and 1 in 3,000 failed to kill 
during 24 days. 

Effluent from ammonia sludge hedfi—A clear watery liquid with no 
very marked odor, specific gravity about 1.00 at 12° C. 

Undiluted and unaerated, the effluent killed bass in 18 minutes. 
Unaerated, 1 in 10 killed perch in 20 hours, and 1 in 100 was not fatal 
during 34 days. 

WASTES FROM BOTH WATER AND COAL-GAS PROCESSES. 

Lime from "purifiers." — This is a coarse gray powder consisting 
originally of quicklime and having a strong odor of illuminating gas. 
The gas is passed through large tanks of the substance in order to 
remove carbon dioxide. 

Five grams in 10 liters of unaerated tap water caused distress to 
perch in a few hours and was fatal in less than 21 hours; 1 gram in 10 
liters, unaerated, killed a bass within about 69 hours; 1 gram in 20 
liters, unaerated, failed to kill bass during 41 days. 

Calcium oxide alone is fatal to trout fry at about 18 parts per 
million. 

Iron oxide from "purifiers." — Iron rust is used to purify the gas 
of sulphur compounds. Iron filings and small pieces are mixed 
with wet wood shavings or thin chips and allowed to rust, ^he 
material is held in large purifiers, through which the unrefined gas 
is passed. The sample received for the tests was of a dark-brown 
color, with a strong odor of gas. 

Twenty grams in 10 liters of water, \m.aerated, killed a perch in 
less than 20 hours; 5 grams in 10 liters killed a perch in 29 hours; 4 
grams in 20 liters was fatal to perch in 56 hours, and 2 grams in 20 
liters failed to kill during 9 days. 

SUMMARY. 

In reviewing the effects of the various wastes of industrial processes 
in the Potomac watershed, it appears that a wide gap in poisonous 
properties exists between the liquid wastes which come from the 
manufacture of illuminating gas and those from all other sources. 
The most toxic of the latter are made harmless by the addition of a 
few hundred parts of water, while the tarry by-products from the 
gas works require hundreds of thousands parts of water before they 
are diluted to the point of safety. 

a From the Clapp Ammonia Company, Washington, D. C. It comes originally from the ammonia 
well of the gas-manufacturing company. 

!> From works of the Clapp Ammonia Company, which recovers ammonia from the waste products of 
the coal process of gas manufacture. 



INDEX 



A. Page. 

Abram Creek, W. Va., measurements 

on, near Harrison 65 

pollution of 284 

water of, field assay of 287 

meclianical analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Abrams Creek, Va., pollution of 230 

sanitary analysis of 293 

Acknowledgments to those aiding 2 

Adamstown, Md., stream pollution at_ 243 

Adjusted drainage, meaning of 8 

Agriculture, turbidity of streams due 

to 300 

See also Farm land. 
Allegany Grove, Md., stream pollu- 
tion at 230 

water at, mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Alps, denudation in 306 

Ammonia, manufacture of, descrip- 
tion of 206 

manufacture of, pollution from_ 206 

Analyses, mineral, results of 290- 

291, 296-298 
See also particular places and 
streams. 

Analyses, sanitary, results of 290-295 

See also particular analyses. 
Anthrax, dissemination of, by tan- 
nery wastes 195 

Antietam Creek, Md., basin of, 
population and area 

of 248-249, 253 

and area of 248-249, 253 

measurements on, at Hagerstown, 

Md 91 

pollution on 232-234 

station on, near Sharpsburg, 

Md., description of 82-83 

measurements at 83-90 

water of, mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analysis of 294 

Appalachian Mountains, age of 11 

geologic history of 12-14 

Area curves, construction and use of_ 24 

figure showing 25 

Army, typhoid in 255, 270-271 

Ashe, W. W., on relation of soils and 
forest cover to Poto- 
mac water 299-336 

Assays, field, results of 283-290 

See also particular places and 
streams. 



Page. 
Atlantic, W. Va., stream pollution 

from : 215 

Autogenous drainage, meaning of 8 



B. 



Bachman Valley, Md., precipitation 

at 34 

Bacillus, typhoid. See Typhoid 

bacillus ; Bacteria. 
Bacillus coli in rivers, effect of tem- 
perature on 264 

Back Creek, W. Va., basin of, popu- 
lation and area of— 248, 253 
measurements of, near North 

Mountain 91 

pollution of 228 

settlement on i 4 

soils on 309 

water of, sanitary analysis of 293 

Backbone Ridge, Md., fires on 323 

soils on * 313 

Bacteria, facts concerning 261-267, 

271, 285-286, 239 
See also Typhoid bacillus. 

Bailey Spring Run, Pa., water of 232 

Bakers Spring, Va., water from 236 

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, be- 
ginning of 186 

relations o f Chesapeake and 

Ohio Canal and 186-187 

Barrelville, Md., stream pollution at_ 219 
Basic City, Va., station on South 
River at, description 

of 91-92 

station on South River at, meas- 
urements at 92-94 

stream pollution at 235-236 

water at, sanitary analysis of 294 

water supply of 277 

Bass, hlack, experiments on 337-348 

Basswood, distribution of 313 

humus from 323 

Battles, sites of 6^ 

Bayard, W. Va.. measurements of 

Buffalo Creek at 65 

precipitation at 35 

stream pollution at 214, 283, 284 

water al, field assays of 287 

mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Bayard formation, soils from 313 

349 



350 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Bedington. W. Va., measurements on 

Opequon Creek near 91 

Beecb, distribution of 313 

humns from 324 

Berkeley Springs. W. Va., stream 

pollution at 227 

water supply of 277 

Berlin, typhoid in, deaths from 269 

Bernard, S., report of, on Chesapeake 

and Ohio Canal 185-186 

Berryville, Va., measurements on 

Crystal Run near 147 

stream pollution at 241 

water supply of 277 

Big Pool, Md., water near, field as- 
say of 289 

Big Run, W. Va., pollution of 226 

Big- Springs Run, Md., measurements 

on. at Charles Jlills___ 91 

Birch, distribution of 313 

humus from 323 

Bismarck, W. Va., fires near 325 

Blacks Run, Va., pollution of 237 

water of, sanitary analysis of 294 

Black watnr formation, soils from 313 

Blaine. Md. and W. Va., stream pol- 
lution at 215 

Bleacheries, stream pollution from_ 233-234 
wastes from, effect of, on fishes_ 343 
Bloomington, Md., "measurements on 
North Branch of Po- 
tomac near 65 

station on Savage River at, des- 
cription of 43-44 

measurements at 44-46 

Boettcherville, Md., precipitation at_ 35 

Bolster, R. H., on stream flow in 

Potomac basin 23-182 

Borden Shaft, Md., conditions at 217 

Boston, typhoid in. deaths from 268 

Braddock Run, Md., pollution of- 219-220 

water of, field assay of 288 

mineral anal.vsis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Brandywine, W. Va., stream pollu- 
tion at 224 

Brewery wastes, pollution from 222, 

233, 235 
Bridgewater, Va., stream pollution 

at 237 

Briggs, Isaac, work of 185 

Broad Run, Md., bosin of, popula- 
tion and area of 251, 254 

measurements on, near Edwards 

Ferry 179 

soils on .302-303 

Brooklyn, typhoid in, deaths from 268 

Brunswick, Md., stream pollution 

at 242-243 

water supply of 277, 279 

Buck Cree^, Pa., fires" on 321 

Buckeystown, Md., stream pollution 

at 245 



Page. 
Buckton, Va., station on Passage 

Creek at, description 

of I_ 124 

station on Passage Creek at, 

measurements at 124-125 

Buffalo Creek, W. Va.. fires on 324, 325 

measurements on 65 

pollution of 283 

timber on 1 313 

water of. field assay of 287 

mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

water supply from 214 

Bullskin Run, measurements on, 
near Kabletown, W. 

Va 147 

Burlington, W. Va., precipitation at_ 35 



C. 



Cacapon River, W. Va.. pollution of_ 226 

settlement on 4 

Calvin Run, Md.. water of, sanitary 

analysis of 294 

Capon Bridge, W. Va., stream pollu- 
tion at 226 

Carroll Creek, Md.. measurements on, 

at Frederick 179 

pollution of 244-245 

water of, sanitary analysis of 294 

Catoctin. Md., measurements on 

Catoctin Creek near 179 

Catoctin Creek, Md., basin of. popu- 
lation and area of 250, 254 

measurements on, near Catoc- 
tin, Md 179 

near Point of Rocks 197 

settlement on 4 

soils on 303 

water of, mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analyses of 294 

Catoctin Creek, Va., basin of, popula- 
tion and area of 250, 254 

soils on 303 

Catoctin Mountains. Va., soils at 

base of 302 

Cecil soils, character and distribu- 
tion of 301, 303-.304, 315 

timber on .304,320 

turbidity from 307-30.8 

Cedar Creek, Va., measurements ou, 

near Strasburg 135 

settlement on .^ 4 

Chaffee, vr. Va., stream pollution at_ 215 
Chambersburg, Pa., precipitation at_ 35 

steam pollution at 228 

water at, field assays of 289 

mineral analyses of 296 

sanitary analyses of 293 

water supply of 227-228,277 

Charles Mills, Md., measurements on 

Big Spring Run at 91 

measurements on Little Conoco- 

cheague Creek at 91 



INDEX. 



351 



Page. 
Charles Town, W. Vn., measurements 

ou Evitt Run near 147 

stream pollution at 241 

water supply of 241-242, 277 

Cherry Run, W. Va., sanitary analy- 
sis of 293 

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, history 

and status of 183-190 

pollution on 3 90,222 

view on — 188 

water of. field assay of 288 

Chester Gap, Va., water from 241 

Chester soils, character and distri- 
bution of 301-304 

mechanical analysis of 302, 304 

timber on 304, 320 

turbidity due to 302,304 

Chestnut, distribution of 302, .304, 

313, 322-323 

humus of 322-323 

Chewsville, Md., precipitation at 35 

Chicago, typhoid in, deaths from 268 

Chloride of lirae. use of, for destroy- 
ing flies 257 

Cholera, transportation of, by water. 191 

Civil war. See War. 

Clark, H. W., and Gage, S. De M., on 

occurrence of bacilli-- 264 

Clearspring, ild., precipitation at 35 

Coal, discovery and use of 6 

Coal gas. See Gas, illuminating. 

Coal mines, stream pollution from 213, 

215,217, 219 
waters from, precipitation by — 26<j 

quality of— 283-286 

Columbia formation, occurrence of 22 

Conococheague Creek, Md., basin of, 
population and area 

of 248,253 

measurements on, near Wil- 

liamsport 91 

pollution of 227-229, 286 

settlement on 4 

soils on 307 

water of, field assays of 289 

sanitary analyses of 293 

West Branch of, pollution of_ 228-229 

water of, field assays of 289 

sanitary analyses of 293 

Consequent streams, definition of 12 

Cooks Creek, Va., drainage area of— 253 

pollution of 237 

station on, at Mount Crawford, 

description of 98-99 

measurements at 99-101 

Cooks Mill, Pa., water at, field as- 
says of 289 

Corriganville, Md., water at, field 

assay of 288 

Cotton dyeing, methods of— ^ 209-210 

Cove Creek, Pa., soils on 306, 307 

water of, field assay of 289 

Cresap, Thomas, settlement by 4, 5 

Crimora, Va., stream pollution at 236 

Crooked Run, Va., measurements on, 

near Riverton 135 



Page. 
Crystal Run. Va., measurements on, 

near Berryville 147 

Cub Run, pollution of 238 

Culps Run, Pa., pollution of 244 

Cumberland, Md.. measurements on 

Evitts Creek near 65 

precipitation at 35 

settlement of , 5 

station at, on North Branch of 
Potomac, description 

of 42, 60-61 

measurements at 61-64 

on Wills Creek,, description 

of ' 58 

measurements at 58-60, 65 

view at 220 

stream ■pollution at 221-222, 285 

typhoid fever at 272-273 

water at and near, field assays 

of 288 

sanitary analyses of-. 292 

water supply of 220, 221, 277, 286 

Cumberland Valley, Md., soils of 304- 

305, 312 
Current meter, use of 23 



D. 



Dale- Enterprise, Va., precipitation 

at - 35 

Dalecarlla Reservoir, description of 332—333 

history of 271-272 

sedimentation in 320 

wind action in 331, 333-334 

Dams, sedimentation and, relations 

of 267 

Dans Mountain, Md., soils on 313 

Davis, W. M., on Potomac River 16 

Deep Run, W. Va., pollution in 215-284 

water of, field assay of 287 

Deer Park, Md., precipitation at 36 

Definitions of terms 26 

Dekalb soils, character and distribu- 
tion of 301,311-312 

timber on 312-320 

Dickerson, Md., measurements on 

Monocacy River near.- 179 

Dickeys Run. Pa., pollution of 229 

water of, field assay of — ; 289 

Difficult Creek. W. Va., fires on 324 

measurements on, near Gor- t 

mania, W. Va * 65 

timber on 313 

Difficult Run, water of, field assay of. 287 

Discharge, computation of 23-24 

Discharge of Potomac and of tribu- 
taries, comparison of_ 30-33 
Discharge curves, construction and 

use of 26 

figure showing-i 25 

Distillery waste, stream pollution 

by 212, 220, 229, 231 

Distributing reservoir, D. C, precipi- 
tation at .36 



352 



INDEX. 



Page. 
District of Columbia, vital statistics 

in 270 

See also Washington. 
Dobbin, W. Va., stream pollution 

at 21.3-214 

water at, field assay of 287 

Doubs, Md., stream pollution at 242 

Drainage, influence of rocks on 8, 15-16 

map showing 8 

Drainage, trellised, arrangement of_ 8 

Drown, T. M., on polluted ice 192 

Dry River, water of 2.S7 

Dyeing, discussion of 208-209 

methods of 209-211 

poliition from wastes of 209 

211, 221-222, 228, 230-233, 245 

wastes from, effect 6t, on 

fishes 345-346 

E. 

East Creek, D. C, diversion of 272 

Eckhart mines, coal from 6 

stream pollution from 219-220 

Edwards Perry, Md., measurements 

on Broad Run near 179 

measurements on Goose Creek 

near 179 

Elk Garden, W. Va., stream pollution 

at 215 

Elk Lick Run, W. Va., water of, 

field assay of 287 

Elk Run, Va., measurements on, near 

Elkton 123 

pollution of 239 

station on, at Elkton, description 

of 110 

measurements at 110-112 

water of, field assay of 287 

mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analysis of 294 

Elkton, Va., measurements on Elk 

Run near 123 

measurements on South Fork of 

Shenandoah near 123 

station on Elk Run at, descrip- 
tion of 110 

measiirements at 110, 112 

stream pollution at 239 

water near, mineral analyses of_ 297 

. water power at 109 

water supply of 277 

Ellerslie, Md., stream pollution at — 219 
Epidemics, typhoid, occurrence of_ 259-282 
Ernstville, Md., Licking Creek near, 

measurements on 91 

Erosion, river, process of 10-13, 15-16 

results of 299-300,314-317 

See also Turbidity. 
Evitt Run, W. Va., measurements on, 

near Charles Town 147 

pollution of 241 

water of, sanitary' analysis of 294 

Evitts Creek, Md., basin of, popula- 
tion and area of 246 

measurements on, near Cumber- 
land 65 



Evitts Creek, Md., pollution of_- 

soils near 

Ewing, M. C, measurements by_ 

P. 



Page. 
223 
306 

178 



Fairfax, Lord, possessions of, on Po- 
tomac ^ 2, 

Fairfax Stone, Va., location of 

Fairhope, Pa., stream pollution at 

water at, field assays of 

P''alling Spring Run, Pa., pollution 

of 

water of, field assay of 

Farm land, erosion of 300, 314 

Fertilizer, use of wastes for 

197, 206, 

Field assays, results of 283- 

F^fteenmile Creek, Md., measure- 
ments on, near Little 

Orleans 

Filtration, effect of 

Fires, forest, occurrence of 320 

322, 323, 

Fish, experiments on 340- 

experiments on, methods of 338- 

Injury to, by industrial pollu- 
tion _. 193, 202, 205, 337- 
Fisheries, Bureau of, cooperation of_ 1, 

Flies, data on 256- 

insecticides for 257- 

typhoid spread by 

Flint Run, Va., measurements on, 

near Front Royal 

Floods near Washington, descrip- 
tions of 179- 

Flowing Run, W. Va., measurements 

on, near Millville 

Flowing Run, Va., pollution of 

Flowing Spring Run. Va., water of, 
sanitary analysis of __ 

Foley, Pa., stream pollution at 

water at, field assay of 

Forestry, Bureau of, cooperation of- 

Forestry map of Potomac basin 

Forests, character and distribution 

of 302, 304, 306, 

312, 313-314, 317- 

clearings in, extension of 327- 

distribution of, map showing.. 

effect of, on melting snow 

on stream flow 317- 

fires in 320-321, 322, 323, 

protective character of 326- 

types of, description and distri- 
bution of 320- 

water supplies from 326- 

Fourraile Creek, Pa., fires on 

Franklin, W. Va., soils near 

stream pollution at 

water at, sanitary analysis of_ 

water supply of 

Frederick, Md., measurements on 

Carroll Creek at 

precipitation at 

settlement of 



1.34 
4 

218 
289 

228 
289 
-317 
196, 
230 
290 



90 
330 
321, 
324 
-348 
-340 

-348 
337 
-257 

-258 
255 

123 

-182 

147 
242 

294 
218 
289 
1 
316 

310, 
-328 
-328 
316 
325 
-328 
324 
-327 

-325 
-327 
321 
.305 
224 
292 
277 

179 

36 

4 



INDEX. 



353 



Page. 
Frederick, Md., station on Monocacy 
River near, description 

of 161-162 

station on Monocacy River near, 

measurements at 162-172 

water power at 172 

water supply of 264-277 

Fredericlc Junction, Md., stream pol- 
lution at 245 

Freezing, effect of, on flow 29 

Front Royal, Va., measurements on 

Flint Run near 123 

measurements on Gooneys Creek 

near 123 

station on South Fork Shenan- 
doah at, description 

of 115-116 

measurements at 116-123 

stream pollution at 241 

water supply of 277 

Frostburg, Md., coal mines at 6 

typhoid fever at 217 

water supply of 217, 277 

Fruit, typhoid fever transmitted hy- 255 
Fuller, G. W., and Russell, H. L., 

on typhoid germs — - — 260 

G. 

Gage, S. De M., and Clark, H. W., 

on typhoid bacilli 264 

Gages, description and use of 23,29 

Gaging stations, list of 42 

Gas, illuminating, effect of, on 

fishes 346-348 

manufacture of, description of 203-206 

pollution from 205, 

206, 222, 228, 230, 231, 240, 245 
wastes from, effect of, on 

nshes 346-348 

Geographic history of Potomac 7—22 

Geologic history in Potomac basin 11—12 

Georges Creek, Md., basin of, popula- 
tion and area of 246, 252 

pollution of 203, 216-217, 220, 285 

settlement on 5 

soils on 313 

station on, at Westernport, des- 
cription of 55 

measurements at 55-57, 65 

trough of 12 

water of, field assays of 288 

mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Georges Creek Coal and Iron Co., de- 
velopment by 6 

Georgetown Reservoir, description o^ 334 

history of 271 

sedimentation in 329 

wind action in 334 

Germs. See Bacteria. 
Gerstell, Md., station on North 
Branch Potomac near, 

measurements at 65 

Gettysburg, Pa., precipitation at 36 

soils near 304 

stream pollution at 243-244, 286 



Page. 
Gettysburg, Pa., water at, field as- 
says of 289-290 

water supply of 277 

Glade Run, Md., water of, field assay 

of -. 247 

Glasgow, typhoid in, deaths from 269 

Gooneys Creek, Va., measurements 

on, near Front Royal.. 123 
Goose Creek, Md., basin of, popula- 
tion and area of 251, 254 

measurements on, near Edwards 

Ferry, Md 179 

pollution of 245-246 

soils on 302,303,304 

water of, sanitary analysis of__ 294 
Gorman, Md., water at, field assay 

of 287 

Gormania, W. Va., measurements on 

Difficult Creek at 65 

measurements on North Branch 

of Potomac at 65 

measurements on Stony River 

near 65 

stream pollution at 214, 284 

water at, field assays of 287 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Graded stream, definition of 10 

Grantsville, Md., precipitation at 36 

Great Cacapon, W. Va., measure- 
ments of Great Caca- 
pon River near 90 

station on Potomac River at, 

description of 78 

measurements at 78 

Great Cacapon River, W. Va., basin 
of, population and area 

of 247, 253 

description of 226-227 

measurements on, near Great 

Cacapon 90 

pollution of 226-227 

water of, mechanical analysis 

of 297 

quality of 318 

sanitary analysis of 293 

Great Falls, Md., low-water flow 

at 278 

pollution at 290 

precipitation at 36 

view of 182 

Great North Mountain, Va., fires on_ 322 
Great Tonoloway Creek, Md., basin 
of, population and area 

of 247,253 

measurements on, near Han- 
cock 91 

soils on 309 

water of, field assay of 289 

Greencastle, Pa., water at and near, 

field assays of 289 

water supply of l 277 

Greenspring, W. Va., water at, san- 
itary analysis of 292 

Greenspring Furnace, Md., precipi- 
tation at 36 

Grove Hill, Va., water power at 109 



354 



INDEX. 



H. 



Page. 



Hagerstown, Md., measurements on 

Antietam Creek at 91 

measurements of Marsh Run 

at 91 

precipitation at 36 

stream pollution at 233-234 

typhoid fever at 233 

water supply of 233, 277 

Hagerstown clay, character and dis- 
tribution of 301, 

305-307, 315 

erosion of 307 

mechanical analysis of 306-307 

Hampshire formation, soils from 311 

Hancock, Md., measurements at, on 

Great Tonoloway Creek 91 
measurements at, on Potomac 

River 90 

measurements near, on Tonolo- 
way Creek 90 

on Warm Spring Run 91 

precipitation at 37 

stream pollution at 227 

typhoid fever at 272 

water at and near, field assay of, 289 

Happy Creek, Va., pollution at 241 

water of, sanitary analysis of_ 294 

Harney, Md., precipitation at 37 

Harper, Robert, settlement by 4 

Harpers Ferry, W. Va., measure- 
ments of Shenandoah 

River at 147 

precipitation at 37 

settlement at 4 

station on Potomac River at, 

description of : 43 

measurements at 91 

stream pollution at 234-235 

view of 222 

water near, mineral analysis of_ 296 
Harrisburg peneplain, character of_ 21 

Harrison, W. Va., measurements on 

Abram Creek, near 65 

stream pollution at 215, 284 

water near, field assay of 287 

Harrisonburg, Va., stream pollution 

at 237-238 

water supply of 237, 277 

Hawksbill Creek. Va., drainage area 

of 253 

pollution of- 239-240 

station on, near Luray, Va., de- 
scription of 112-113 

measurements at 113-115. 123 

water of. mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analysis of 294 

Headwaters, description of 7 

Hemlock, distribution of 313 

humus of 324 

use of, in wind-breaks 332 

Henry, W. Va., stream pollution at_ 213, 

283 
water at and near, field assays 

of 287 

Hides. See Pelts. 



Page. 

Hightowu, Va., soils near 306 

History of Potomac basin, outline of. 2-22 

Hite, Joist, settlement by 3 

Hoblitzel, Pa., water at, field assay 

of 289 

Hollow Run, Md., pollution of 240 

Horse manure, fly breeding in 256 

fly breeding in, prevention of_ 257-258 

Howard, .Tohn, exploration by 4 

Howard, L. O., flies investigated by 256-258 
Howell Run, W. Va., water of, field 

assay of 287 

Hubbard, W. Va., stream pollution 

at 215 

Humus, character of 320 

prevention of erosion by ._ 300, 306 

water storage by 318-319 

Hupp Spring Run, Md., pollution of_ 240 
Hutton, W. R. , measurements by__ 178 
Hyndman, Pa., stream pollution at_ 219 

water at, field assays of 288 

water supply of 277 

I. 

Ice, effect of, on flow 29 

pollution of. danger from 192, 232 

Illinois River, sewage in 267 

temperature observations on_ 261-263 

Indians, hostility of 3 

Industrial wastes, effect of, on 

fishes 337-348 

pollution from, by streams 213-254 

sources and character of 193-212 

Iredell clay loam, character of 315 

Isohyet, definition of 34 



Jackson Run, water supply from 217 

James River, loss of, to Potomac, 

reason of 18-19 

Jennings formation, soils from 308, 311 

Jennings Run, Md., drainage to, 

figure showing 274 

pollution of 219, 273-275, 280 

water of, field assay of 288 

mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Jordan, E. O., on Illinois River 267 

Jordan, E. O., and Zeit, F. R., ex- 
periments by, on ty- 
phoid germ 260 

.Jordan Springs, Va., stream pollu- 
tion at 231 



K. 



Kabletown, W. Va., measurements 

on Bullskin Run near_ 147 

Keezleton, Va., stream pollution at_ 238 

Kemple Falls, Va., water power at._ 109 

Kennebec Valley, typhoid in '. 279 

Kerosene, use of, in killing flies 257 

Keyser, W. Va. , measurements on 

New Creek near 65 



INDEX. 



355 



Page. 
Keyser.W. Va., stream pollution at _ 218,285 
water at and near, field assays i 

of 288 

sanitary analysis of 292 

water supply of 218, 277 

Kilmer Spring, W. Va., water from_ 231 

water of, field assay of 288 

King, F. H., on porosity 315 

Kips. See Pelts. 

Knitting mills, dye wastes from, ef- 
fect of, on fishes 345 

Knobly Mountains, W. Va., soils of_ 305 
Knoxville, Md., stream pollution at_ 242 
Kofoid, C. A., on water tempera- 
tures 261-264 

Koontz Run, Md., pollution of 217 

Kreigbaum, Md., water near, min- 
eral analyses of 296 



L. 



Lafayette formation, deposition of 21 

Latrines, danger from 258 

Laundries, stream pollution from 217, 

228, 230, 245 
Laurel Creek, W. Va., water of, field 

assay of 287 

Laurel Pork, W. Va., timber on-_ 313, 324 
Laurel Run, water of, field assay of_ 287 

Leather tanning, fat from, use of 397 

hair from, use of 196 

lime In, use of 196-197 

lime wastes from, use of 196 

liquors for 198-199 

oil from 200 

processes and wastes of 193-201 

tan bark, spent, disposition of 200 

water for, character of 194-195 

Leesburg, Va., soil at, analysis of 302 

stream pollution at 245-246 

water supply of 277 

Levels, The, W. Va., soils of 310, 311 

Lewis, John, settlement by 4 

Lewis Creek, Va., drainage area of 253 

pollution of_ 238 

station on, near Staunton, Va., 

description of 101 

measurements at 102-103 

water of, sanitary analysis of__ 294 

Lewis Run, Va., pollution of 241 

Libocodrus, use of, for wind-breaks. 332 

Lick Run, W. Va., pollution of 231 

Licking Creek, Md., basin of, popula- 

- • tion and area of 248, 253 

measurements on, near Ernst- 

ville, Md 91 

pollution of 227 

soils on 309 

water of, field assay of 289 

Licksville, Md., South Tuscarora 

Creek near 179 

Lime, chloride of. See Chloride of 
lime. 

Iiime, use of, in tanning 196-197 

Lime sludge, stream pollution from 206, 283 
Limestone soils, character and dis- 
tribution of 304-308 



Page. 

Lincoln, Va., precipitation at 37 

Linden, Va., measurements on Wap- 

pan Run near 147 

Lineburg, W. Va., measurements on 

Sideling Creek near 90 

Linen dyeing, methods of 210 

Litter, office of 319 

Little Antietam Creek, Md., pollu- 
tion of 232 

water of, field assays of 289, 290 

Little Cacapon, W. Va., measure- 
ments on Little Caca- 
pon River near 90 

Little Cacapon River, W. Va., basin 
of, population and area 

of 247,253 

measurements on, near Little 

Cacapon 90 

Little Conococheague Creek, Md., 
measurements on, at 

Charles Mills 9 

Little Cumberland Valley, soils in 306 

Little Falls Branch, Md., diversion 

of 272 

Little Orleans, Md., measurements 
on Fifteenmile Creek 

near 90 

Liverpool, typhoid in, deaths from 269 

Lonaconing, Md., stream pollution at 217 

typhoid fever at 217 

water supply of 277 

London, typhoid in. deaths from 269 

Long Bridge, Washington, D. C, 

tidal statistics at 43 

Long Hollow, Md., soils in 310 

Lost City, W. Va., stream pollution 

at 226 

Lost River, W. Va., drainage area of 253 

settlement of 4 

See also Moorfield River. 
Lostland Run, W. Va., water of, 

field assay of 287 

Luke, Md., stream pollution at 203, 216, 283 

water at, field assays of 287-288 

mineral analyses of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Luray, A'a., station on Hawksbill 
Creek near, description 

of 112-113 

station on Hawksbill Creek near, 

measurements at 113- 

115, 123 

stream pollution at 232-240 

water at, sanitary analyses of 294 

water supply of 277 

Lyon's mill, D. C, station on Rock 

Creek at, description of 173 
station on Rock Creek at, meas- 
urements at 173-175, 177-178 

M. 

McConnellsburg, Pa., soils of 306 

stream pollution at 227 

water at, field assay of 289 

water supply of 277 

McGaheysville, Va., stream pollution 

at 239 



356 



INDEX. 



Page. 
McKnightstown, Pa., stream pollu- 
tion at 243 

Mallett, J. W.. on Staunton water 

supply 238 

Man, geologic action of 22 

Manganese mining, pollution from 236 

Map, drainage, of Potomac system. Pocket. 

Map, forestry, of Potomac system 316 

Map, rainfall, of Potomac system_ Pocket. 
Map, topographic, of Potomac sys- 
tem Pocket. 

Maple, distribution of 313 

humus of 324 

Marion, Pa., precipitation at 37 

Marsh, M. C, on effect of industrial 

wastes on fishes 337-348 

Marsh Creek, Pa., pollution of 286 

water from 243 

field assay of___ 289 

Marsh Run, Md., measurements on, 

at Hagerstown 91 

pollution of 233 

Martin Mountains, Pa., soils of 305 

Martinsburg, W. Va., precipitation 

at 37 

station at, on Opequon Creek, 

description of 78-79 

measurements at 79-81 

on Tuscarora Creek, de- 
scription of 81 

measurements at 82 

stream pollution at 231 

typhoid fever at 231 

water at, field assay of 288 

water supply of 277 

Maryland, vital statistics in, lack of- 270 

Mash, whisky, pollution from : 212 

Massachusetts, treatment of tannery 

wastes in 199 

Massachusetts state board of health, 
on purification of wool- 
scouring waste 207-208 

Massanutten Mountain, Va., fires on_ 321 
Mechanical wood pulp. See Wood 

pulp. 
Mercersburg, Pa., stream pollution 

at 229 

water near, field assay of 289 

water supply of 277, 327 

Merrimac River, Mass., occurrence 

of typhoid on 267 

Micropterus salmoides, experiments 

on 337-348 

Middle River, Va., basin of, popu- 
lation and area of__ 249, 253 
measurements on, near Mount 

Meridian, Va 108 

pollution of. 238 

water of, sanitary analysis of 294 

Middleton, A'a., stream pollution at_ 240 
Midland, Md.. sanitary conditions at. 217 

Milk, typhoid fever spread by 254-255, 

258-259, 270 

Mill Creek, D. C, diversion of 272 

Mill Creek, W. Va., drainage area of_ 252 
measurements on, near Romney. 77 
water of, sanitary analyses of_ 293 



Page. 
Milldale, Va., measurements on 

Stonebridge Run at 147 

Millstone, Md., water near, field as- 
say of 289 

Millviile, W. Va., measurements on 

Flowing Run at 147 

station on Shenandoah River at, 

description ofJ 135-136 

measurements at 31, 136-146 

water power at 147 

Millwood, Va., measurements on 

Parker Creek at 147 

Mine waters, coagulation and pre- 
cipitation by 266, 276 

effect of, on Potomac River__ 283-286 

Mineral analyses, results of 290-291, 

296-298 
See also particular places. 
Mines. See Coal mines. 
Monocacy River, Md., basin of. pop- 
ulation and area of 250- 

251, 254 
measurements on, near Dicker- 
son, Md ^ 179 

pollution of 243-24& 

settlement on 4 

soils on 302-305 

station on, near Frederick, de- 
scription of 101-162 

measurements at 162-172 

water power at 172 

water of, mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analyses of 294 

Mont Alto, Pa., stream pollution at_ 232 

Monterey, Va., soils near 306 

stream pollution at 224 

Monterey sandstone, soils from 311 

Moore. Thomas, work of 184 

Moorefield, W. Va., measurements on 
South Fork of South 
Branch of I'otomac at_ 77 

stream pollution at 200, 225 

water at, sanitary analysis of 293 

water supply of 277 

Moorefield River, W. Va., descrip- 
tion of 223, 224 

drainage area of 253 

pollution of 224, 225 

sanitary analysis of 293 

Mordants, list of 209 

Morgan, Richard, settlement by 4 

Moss Bank Run, Md., pollution of 228 

Mount Crawford, Va., station on 
Cooks Creek at, de- 
scription of. 98-99 

station on Cooks Creek at, 

measurements at 99-101 

typhoid fever at 237 

Mount Meridian, Va., Middle River 

near, measurements on_ 108 
Mount St. Mary College, Md.. precip- 
itation at 37 

Mount Savage, Md., stream pollu- 
tion at 219 

typhoid fever at 273-276 

Mount Savage Run. Md.. pollution 

of 219 



INDEX. 



357 



Page. 



91 



Muddiness. (fee Turbidity. 
Munson, W. Va., measurements on 

Sleepy Creek near 

Murray, Doctor, on typhoid at 

Mount Savage, Md 

Musca domestica. See Flies. 



Naked Creek, Va., measurements on, 

near Verbena 123 

New Creek, Md., drainage area of 252 

measurements on, near Keyser_ 65 

pollution of 218 

water of, tield assays of 288 

sanitary analyses of 202 

New Haven, Conn., typhoid at 279 

New Market, Md., precipitation atl 37 

stream pollution at 240 

New York, typhoid fever at 268 

Newport, Va., water power at 109 

North Branch of Potomac. See Po- 
tomac River, North 
Branch. 
Nortli Fork of Shenandoah. See 
Shenandoah, North 
Fork. 
North Mountain, W. Va., measure- 
ments on Back Creek 

near 91 

North River (of Great Cacapon), 

W. Va., description of_ 226 

pollution of_ 226 

North River (of Shenandoah), Va., 
basin of, population 

and area of 249, 253 

basin of, stream flow in 98-108 

measurements on, near Mount 

Meridian 108 

pollution of 236-238 

station on, at Port Republic, de- 
scription of 103-104 

measurements at 104-107 

water of, sanitary analyses of 294 

water powers on 109 

Notropis hudsonius, experiments on_ 337 
Nydegger Run, Md., water of, field 

assay of 287 



O. 



Oaks, distribution of___ 302, 304, 306, 310, 
311, 312, 313, 321-322 

humus from 322, 323 

Ocean, Md., sanitary conditions at__ 217 
Old Field, W. Va., precipitation at. 38 

stream pollution at - 225 

Opequon Creek, W. Va., basin of, pop- 
ulation and area of_ 248, 258 
measurements on, near Beding- 

ton 91 

pollution of 230-232 

settlement on 3 

station on, near Martinsburg, de- 
scription of 78-79 



Page. 
Obequon Creek, W. Va., station on, 
near Martinsburg, meas- 
urements at 79-81 

water of, mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analyses of 293 

Ordure, typhoid fever spread by 255 

Organisms, microscopic, relation of 

bacteria and 264 

Organic movements, course of 17—20 

Outwater, Raymond, on loss by ero- 
sion 316 

Oysters, typhoid spread by 258-259 



P. 



Packard, A. S., on fly breeding 256 

Paper-mill wastes. See Wood pulp. 

Paris, typhoid in, deaths from 269 

Parker, H. N., on Chesapeake and 

Ohio Canal 183-190 

on Potomac basin 2-6 

on stream pollution, typhoid 
fever, and character of 

surface water 191-298 

Parker Creek, Va., measurements on, 

near Millwood 147 

Passage Creek, Va., basin of, popula- 
tion of 249 

measurements on, near Riverton 135 
station on, at Buckton, descrip 

tion of 124 

measurements at 124-125 

water of, mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 294 

I'atterson, W. Va., measurements on 

Patterson Creek near- 65 
Patterson Creek, W. Va., basin of, 
population and area 

of • 246, 252 

measurements on, at Patterson. 65 

pollution of 223 

settlement on 5 

soils on 309 

water of, mechanical analysis of 297 
Patterson Creek Mountains, W. Va., 

soils of 305 

Pawpaw, W. Va., measurements of 

Purslane Run near 90 

stream pollution at 226 

water at, mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analyses of 293 

Pelts, classification and description 

of 193-194 

I'eneplaiu, definition of 14 

Penn soils, character and distribu- 
tion of 301, 304, 315 

Pennsylvania, anthrax in 195 

vital statistics in, inadequacy of 270 
Pennsylvania Forest Reserve, estab- 
lishment of 326 

waters of 227 

Perca flavescens, experiments on_ 337-348 

Perch, yellow, experiments on 337-348 

Petersburg, W. Va., measurements 
on North Fork of 
South Branch of Poto- 
mac near 77 



358 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Petersburg, W. Va., measurements 
on South Branch of 

Potomac near 77 

stream pollution at 225 

water at, sanitary analyses of__ 293 
Philadelphia, Pa., typhoid in, deaths 

from 268 

Piedmont. W. Va., station on North 
Branch Potomac at, 

description of 46-47 

station on North Branch Poto- 
mac at, measurements 

at 31.47-54 

•stream pollution at 216 

water at, field assays of 287-288 

water near, mineral analyses of 296 

water supply of ^ 277 

Pine, distribution of 302-303, 

304, 310, 311, 312, 320-321 

effect of, on melting snow 325 

humus from 320-321 

Point of Rocks, Md., precipitation 

at 38 

Pocono formation, soils from 312 

station on Potomac River at, 
curves at, plate show- 
ing 25 

description of 148-149 

measurements at. 31, 150-161, 291 

water power at 160-161 

Pollution In Potomac River sys- 
tem basin 191-298 

See also names of places, 
streams, manufactures, 
etc. 
Poplars, wastes from, effect of, on 

fishes 341 

Population of basins tributary to 

Potomac 246-252 

Porosity, data on 314-315 

Port Republic, Va., station on 
North River at, de- 
scription of 103-104 

station on North River at, 

measurements at 104-107 

station on South River at, de- 
scription of 94 

measurements at 95-98 

water power at 109 

Potomac River (main stream), basin 

of. description of 7-9 

basin of, pollution in 226-235, 

242-246 

population and area of 247-256 

stream flow in 78-91, 148-179 

water supplies in 277 

floods on 179-182 

flow of, connection of typhoid 

fever and 278-279 

chart showing 278 

Great Falls of, view of 182 

measurements of, at Chain 

Bridge, D. C 173 

at 3reat Falls. Md 173 

at Hancock, Md 90 



Page. 
Potomac River (main stream), ob- 
stacles to navigation 
on 184 

pollution of 226, 227, 

232, 234, 242-243, 245-246 

view of 222 

profile of 9 

plate showing 182 

sedimentation in - 266-267 

station on, at Great Cacapon. 
W. Va., description 

of 78 

measurements at 78 

at Harpers Ferry, W. Va., 

description of 43 

measurements at 91 

at Long Bridge, D. C. de- 
scription of 43 

at Point of Rocks, Md., 
curves at, plate show- 
ing 25 

description of 148-149 

measurements at. 31, 150-160 

water power at 160-161 

valley of, description of 9 

view on 188 

water of, sanitary analyses 

of 293-294 

temperature of, relation of 

typhoid fever and__. 263-264 

turbidity of 299-300 

use of, for drinking 277 

in fish experiments- 339-340 

typhoid fever from 270 

Potomac River (North Branch), 
basin of, description 

of 43,213 

basin of, population and area 

of 246-247, 252 

stream flow in 43-65 

measurements of, near Bloom- 

ington, Md 65 

near Gerstell, Md 65 

near Gormania, W. Va 65 

near Schell, W. Va 65 

near Twenty-first, Md 65 

pollution of 203, 213-223 

profile of. plate showing 182 

settlement on 3-4 

soils on 306 

station on, at Cumberland, Md., 

description of 42, 60-61 

measurements at 61-64 

at Piedmont, W. Va., descrip- 
tion of 46—47 

measurements at 31, 47-58 

timber on 324 

water of, field assays of 287-288 

mineral analyses of 296 

(luality of 283-288, 292, 296 

sanitary analyses of 292 

turbidity of 300 

Potomac River (South Branch), 
basin of, description 
of 66, 223-224 



INDEX. 



359 



Page. 
Potomac River (South Branch), ba- 
sin of, pollution in_ 223-226 
basin of, population and area of 247, 

252-253 

stream flow in 66-67 

measurements on, near Peters- 
burg, W. Va 77 

near Romney, W. Va 77 

North Fork of, drainage area of 252 
measurements on, near 

Petersburg, W. Va 77 

water of, sanitary analy- 
sis of 292 

profile of 66 

settlement on 4-5 

soils ou 309 

South Fork of. measurements 
on, near Moorefield, 

W. Va 77 

station on, near Springfield, W. 

Va., description of 66-68 

measurements of 31, 68-77 

water of, mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analyses of 292-293 

Potomac River system, age of 11 

basin of, description of 7-9 

development of 9-22 

drainage map of 8 

forestry map of 316 

pollution in 191-298 

population and area of 246-252, 291 

rainfall map of Pocket. 

stream flow in 23-190 

topographic map of Pocket. 

water of, quality of 283-298 

water supplies in 277 

Precipitation. See Rainfall ; Sedi- 
mentation. 
Price, L. M., on typhoid at Mount 

Savage, Md 273-276 

Privies, proper construction of 258 

Profile, ideal, description of 9 

Profile of Potomac River, descrip- 
tion of 9 

plates showing 182 

of Shenandoah River, plate 

showing 134 

Pulp, wood. See Wood pulp. 
Purslane Run, W. Va., measure- 
ments on, near Paw- 
paw 90 

Q. 

Quality of surface waters 283-298 

R. 

Railroads, sanitation of 234 

Rainfall, in Potomac basin, compari- 
son of run-off and 40r-41 

data on 33-40 

map showing Pocket 

construction of 33-34 

Rating tables, construction and use 

of 24 

Rattlesnake Run, Pa., water of 232-233 



Page. 
Receiving reservoir. Md., precipita- 
tion at 38 

Red Oak Mountain, W. Va, soils on_ 313 
Red Oak Run, W. Va., water of, 

field assay of 287 

Red-shale soils. See Upshur soils. 
Reservoirs, sedijnentation and wind 

action in 329-335 

Rivers. See Streams. 

Riverton, Va., measurements at 123 

measurements at, on Crooked 

Run 135 

on Happy Creek 135 

on Passage Creek 135 

precipitation at 38 

station at, on North Fork of 
Shenandoah, descrip- 
tion of-___ 125-127 

measurements at 127-135 

on Shenandoah River, de- 
scription of 42-43 

stream pollution at 241 

water at, sanitary analysis of 294 

water power at 109 

water supply of 277 

Rock Creek (of Potomac), I). C, 

drainage area of 254 

station on, at Lyons Mill, de- 
scription of ■ 173 

measurements at 173-175, 

177-178 
at Zoological Park, descrip- 
tion of 173 

measurements at 174-177 

water of, field assay of 289 

Rock Creek (of Monoeacy River), 

Md., pollution of___ 243-244 
Rocks, character of, influence of, on 

drainage 8, 15-16 

Romney, W. Va., measurements on 

Mill Creek near 77 

precipitation at 38 

settlement of 4 

South Branch Potomac near, 

measurements on 77 

stream pollution at 226 

water of, sanitary analyses of 293 

water supply of 277 

Romney shale, soils from 308 

Run-ofiE, comparison of rainfall and_ 40-41 

definition of. 26 

See also particular drainage 
basins. 
Russell, H. L., and Fuller, G. W., 

, on typhoid germ 2.60 



St. Louis, typhoid in, deaths from 268 

Salmon, experiments on 337 

Sand Run, Md., water of, field assay 

of 287 

Sandstone soils, character and dis- 
tribution of 311-312 

Sandy Ridge, W. Va., fires on 321 



360 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Sanitary analyses, results of 290-295 

See also particular places. 

Savage Mountain, JId.,. fires on 323 

soils on 313 

Savage River, Md., basin of, popu- 
lation and area of 246, 252 

station on, at Bloomington, de- 
scription of 43^4 

measurement of 44-46 

water of. quality of 215-216 

field assay of 287 

mineral analysis of 296 

sanitary analysis of 292 

Sawdust, stream pollution from 215 

Schell, W. Ya., measurements on 
North Branch Poto- 
mac near 65 

measurements on Stony River 

near 65 

stream pollution at 284 

water at. field assay of 287 

Schooley peneplain, character and 

history of 14—19 

Schuler, Va.. water power at 109 

Scope of paper 1 

Scotland. Pa., stream pollution at 227 

Scrub Ridge. Pa., fires on 321, 323 

Second Culvert Run, Md., pollution 

of 243 

Second-foot, definition of 26 

Sedgwick, W. T.. and Winslow, 
C.-E. A., on typhoid 

fever 264, 267 

Sedimentation, effect of, on germs- 267, 285 

process of 264-267 

use of- in industrial wastes 196, 

203, 206 
Seneca. Md.. measurements on Sen- 
eca Creek near 179 

Seneca Creek, Md., basin of, popula- 
tion and area of 251, 254 

measurements on, near Seneca, 

Md 179 

pollution of 246 

soils on 302, 303 

timber on 313, 324 

turbidity of 307, 313 

water of, sanitary analysis of 294 

Sewage, effect of. on typhoid germ_ 260 

effect of, on fishes 346 

Shaffers Run, Pa., water of, field as- 
say of_ 289 

Shale soils, character and distribu- 
tion of 308-311 

Shenandoah, Va., precipitation at 38 

station on Antietam Creek near, 

description of '— 82-83 

measurements at 83-90 

stream pollution at 234 

Shaw, W. Va., stream pollution 

at 215, 284 

water at and near, field assays 

of 287 

Shellfish, typhoid fever spread by 259 



Page. 

Shenandoah, Va., precipitation at 38 

stream pollution at 230 

water power at 109 

Shenandoah .Junction. W. Va., stream 

pollution at 234 

Shenandoah Mountain, fires on 321. 322 

Shenandoah River, basin of, pollu- 
tion in 23.5-242 

basin of, population and area 

of 249-250, 253-254 

stream flow in 91-147 

length of. reason for 18-19 

measurements on, at Harpers 

Ferry, W. Va 147 

pollution on 241-242 

profile of 135 

plate showing 134 

station on, at Millville, VT. Va., 

description of 13.5-136 

measurements at. 31, 136-146 

water power at 147 

at Riverton, Va., descrip- 
tion of 41-43 

valley of. description of 9 

water of. mineral anaylsis of 297 

sanitary analysis of 294 

Shenandoah River (North Fork), 

basin of, pollution in__ 240 
basin of, population and area 

of 249-250 

stream flow in 124-135 

pollution in 240 

settlement on 3—1 

soils on 307 

station on, near Riverton, Va., 

description of 125-127 

measurements at 127-134, 135 

trough of 12 

water of, mechanical analysis of 296 

sanitary analyses of 294 

Shenandoah River (South Fork), 
basin of. description 

of 108 

basin of, pollution in_ 91-123, 231-238 

population and area of 249. 

253-254 

stream flow in 110-123 

water powers in 109 

measurements on 123 

pollution of 238-240 

profile of, plate showing 134 

settlement on 3 

soils on 307 

station on, near Front Royal, 

Va., description of 115-116 

measurements at 116-123 

water of. sanitary analysis of 294 

Shenandoah plain, description of 20-21 

Shendun, Va., water power at 109 

Shepherdstown, Pa., stream pollu- 
tion at -_ 232 

Shriver, Joseph, map of 6 

Sideling Creek. W. Va., basin of, 
population and area 
of 247, 253 



INDEX. 



361 



Page. 
Sideling Creek, W. Va., erosion on — 322 

fires on 321 

soils on 309,310 

station on, near Lineburg, meas- 
urements at 90 

Silcott Run, W. Va., water of, field 

assay of 287 

Silk dyeing, methods of 211 

Sir Johns Run, W. 'V a., measure- 
ments on, near Sir 

Johns Run 90 

Sir Johns Run, W. Va.. measure- 
ments on Sir Johns 

Run near 90 

Slaughterhouses,' pollution from 217, 

222, 228, 229, 236, 241 
Sleepy Creek, W. Va., basin of, popu- 
lation and area of__ 247, 253 
measurements on, near Munson_ 91 

soils on 309 

Smith, John, exploration on Poto- 
mac by 2 

Snow, melting of, turbidity due to-- 325 
Soap making, stream pollution by... 228 

Sod, prevention of erosion by 300 

Soda, recovery of 202-203 

Soda wood pulp. See Wood pulp. 

Soldiers, typhoid among 255, 271-272 

Soils, classification and descriptions 

of .301-314 

effect of, on turbidity 299-317 

Somerset, Pa., precipitation at 39 

Somerville peneplain, description of_ 21 
South Branch of the Potomac. 8ce 
Potomac River, South 
Branch. 
South Fork of Shenandoah River. 
See Shenandoah River, 
South Fork. 

South Mountain, Va., fires on 323 

South River, Va., basin of, popula- 
tion and area of— 249-.253 

stream flow in 91-98 

pollution of 235-236 

station on, at Basic City, des- 
cription of 91-92 

measurements at 92-94 

at Port Republic, Va., de- 
scription of 94 

measurements at 95-98 

water of, mineral analysis of 297 

sanitary analyses of 294 

water ijowers on 109 

South Tuscarora Creek, Md., meas- 
urements on, near 

Licksville 179 

Southern Appalachian Forest Re- 
serve, establishment of 326 
Spillman, W. J., on yellow - slate 

soil 316 

Spottswood, Governor, expedition of 2-3 
Springfield, Mass., typhoid fever 

at 258-259 

Springfield, W. Va., station on South 
Branch Potomac at, de- 
scription of 66-68 



Page. 
Springfield, W. Vn., station on South 
Branch Potomac at, 

measurements at 31. 68-77 

Springs, contamination of 326-327 

Spruce, distribution of 313, 324 

effect of, on melting snow 325 

humus from 324-325 

use of, in wind-breaks 332 

wastes from, effect of, on 

fishes 340-341 

Spruce Mountain, W. Va., fires on 325 

timber on 324 

Staunton, Va., precipitation at 39 

settlement of 4 

station on Lewis Creek near, 

description of 101 

measurements at 102-103 

stream pollution at 238 

water supply of 238, 277 

Steel mills, stream pollution from_ 222 
Stephens City, Va., precipitation at_ 39 

Stephens Run, Pa., pollution of 244 

Stevens Run, Pa., water of, field 

assay of. 289 

Stokesville, Va., stream pollution 

at 236-237 

typhoid fever at_ 236-237 

Stomoxys calcitrans. See Flies. 
Stonebridge Run, Va.. measurements 

on, near Milldale 147 

Stony River, W. Va., fires on 324, 325 

measurements on, near Gor- 

mania, W. Va 65 

near Schell, W. Va 65 

pollution of- 284 

soils on 313 

timber on 313 

water of, field assay of 287 

Stony Run, Va., pollution of 239 

Stover, Jacob, settlement by 3 

Stoyer, Md., stream pollution at 214- 

215, 283 

water at, field assay of 287 

Strasburg, Va., measurements on 

Cedar Creek near 135 

settlement of 3 

stream pollution at 240 

water supply of 277 

Strawboard wastes, stream pollution 

by 230, 242 

Stream pollution in Potomac River 

basin 291-298 

See also particular places, 
streams, manufactures, 
etc. 
Streams, alkalinity of, necessity of, 

for fish life 337-338 

arrangement of 8 

character and location of 7-8 

dilution of 267 

disease borne by 191-192, 259-282 

flow of, connection of typhoid 

fever and 278-279 

measurements of 23-26 

accuracy of 28-30 

comparisons of 30-33 



362 



INDEX, 



Page. 
Steams, flow of. measurements of, 
curves used in, plate 

showing 25 

oxidation in 263 

pollution of, character of 191-193 

details of 213-298 

industries and, relations 

of 193-212 

purification of, cost of 191, 193 

sedimentation in 264-266 

temperature of 261-262 

relation of typhoid fever 

and 262-263 

transportation of solid matter 

hy 265-266 

turbidity of. effect of soils 

on 299-317 

velocity of 265 

Stringtown, Pa., water at, field 

assay of 289 

Sugarland Run, Md.; basin of, popu- 
lation and area of 251, 254 

Sulphite pulp, wastes from, effect 

of, on fishes 342-343 

Sulphur Run, Md., pollution of 272 

Sunnyside, Md., precipitation at 39 

Surface waters, quality of 283-298 

Susquehanna, gain of, from Poto- 
mac, explanation of 19, 20 



T. 



Tables, explanations of 27-28 

Takoma Park, Md., precipitation at_ 39 
Tamarack Ridge. W. Va., timber on_ 324 

Tan bark, disposal of 200 

Taneytown, Md., precipitation at 39 

Tanneries, pollution from 195-200. 214, 

218, 219, 221-222. 224- 
225, 226, 229, 230, 238, 
239-240, 243-245, 284 
wastes from, effect of, on 

fishes 343-345 

Tanning. See Leather tanning. 
Tanning extracts, pollution from_ 200-201, 
224, 226, 235, 236 
Tar from gas manufacture, effect 

of, on fish 346-348 

pollution by 205-206 

Temperature of streams, observa- 
tions of 261-264 

'Tenmile Creek. Md., fires on 321 

Terracing, prevention of erosion by__ 316 
Three Churches. W. Ya., soils 

near 311 

Three Fork Run, W. Va., pollution 

of 215,284 

water of, field assay of 287 

Timber Ridge, Pa., soils of 310, 311 

Tomsbrook, stream pollution at 240 

Tonoloway Creek., Md., measure- 
ments on, near Han- 
cock 90 

Tonoloway Ridge, W. Va., fires on_ 321 
soils of 305 



Page. 
Town Creek, Va., measurements on, 

near forks of Potomac. 90 

soils near 307 

Town Hill, fires on 321 

soils of 310 

Train sewage, disposal of 234-235 

Trellised drainage, meaning of 8 

Tributaries, character and location 

of 7-8 

discharge of, ratio of, to Po- 
tomac 30-33 

Trout, experiments on ^ 337 

Trout Run. Pa., pollution of 229 

water of, field assay of . 289 

water svipply from . 327 

Turbidity, effect of soils on 299-317 

melting snow and, relation of 325 

Turbidity in Washington reservoirs. 

lessening of, method of 329 
Tuscarora Creek (of Goose), Md., 

pollution of 245-246 

Tuscarora Creek (of Opequon), W. 

Va., pollution of 231-232 

station on, at Martinsburg, de- 
scription of 81 

measurements at 82 

Tuscarora Creek (of Potomac), Md., 

pollution of 243 

Tuscarora Mountain, Pa., fires on_ 321, 323 

Tussey Mountain, Pa., fires on 320-321 

Twenty-first, Md., measurements on 
North Branch Potomac 

near 65 

Typhoid bacillus, life history of— 260-261 

Typhoid fever, causes of 254-269 

causes of, at Washington 270-276 

connection of, with low-water 

flow of Potomac 278-279 

chart showing 278 

deaths from, in cities of the 

world 268-269 

in Washington 273-276 

epidemics of. types of 279 

occurrence of, in Potomac ba- 
sin 217, £18, 

223, 224, 231, 233, 234, 236, 
237, 241, 242-243, 254-282 

transportation of. by water 191- 

192, 236-237 
Typhoid fever commission, U. S. 

Army, facts found by_ 255 



U. 



Uplift, history of 17-21 

Uppertract, W. Va., precipitation at- 39 
Upshur soils, character and distribu- 
tion of 301, 310-311 

timber on 311, 320 

Urine, vitality of typhoid germs in_ 254 



Valley, river, ideal, description of_ 
Van Metre, John, exploration by 



INDEX, 



863 



rage. 
^'eg•etables, raw, typhoid fevei- 

spread by 258 

Velocity curves, construction aud 

use of 24, 26 

figure showing 25 

Verbena, Va., measurements on 

Nalied Creeli near 123 

Vienna, typhoid in, deaths from 269 

Virginia, valley of, character of 9 

settlement of 3-4 

soils of :: 304, 305, 312 

vital statistics in, lacli of 270 

Vital statistics, lack of 270 



W. 



Wallman, Md., stream pollution at— 213 
Wappan Run, Va.. measurements on 

near Linden 147 

War, typhoid fever in 255, 271-272 

Warm Spring Run, Md., drainage 

area of 253 

measurements on, near Han- 

. cock - 91 

pollution of 227 

water of, mineral analysis of — - 297 

sanitary analysis of 293 

Washington, D. C, filtration at 282 

floods near 179-182 

precipitation at 39 

reservoirs of, history of 271 

sedimentation and wind ac- 
tion in 329-3.35 

typhoid at 263, 268. 270-282 

relation of Cumberland ty- 
phoid and 272-27.S 

relation of Mount Savage 

typhoid and 273-276 

relation of low-water flow 

of Potomac and 278-279 

chart showing 278 

statistics of 268, 280-282 

vital statistics at 270 

water at, mineral analyses of_ 297-298 

sanitary analyses of 295 

water supply of 271-272 

analyses of 295, 297-298 

• character of 290 

turbidity of 331-332 

Washington, George, connection of, 
with Chesapeake and 

Ohio Canal 183 

explorations by 5-6 

Washington City Reservoir, descrip- 
tion of ^^— 3.34-335 

sedimentation in 329 

wind action in .- 335 

Washington .Junction, Md., stream 

pollution at 243 

Water. See Streams. 
Water gas. See Gas, illuminating. 
Water power, occurrence and char- 
acter of 109, 

147, 160-161, 172 
Water supplies of towns in Potomac 

basin, sources of 277 

IRB 192^07 24 



Page. 
Waynesboro, Va., stream pollution 

at 232-2.33, 236 

water at, field assays of. 289-290 

water supply of 232-233, 277, 327 

Weather Bureau, gaging records of_ 42 

rainfall records of 33 

Wells, pollution of, by sewage 233, 

242, 259 
pollution of, typhoid due to.- 260, 270 
West Virginia, vital statistics in, 

lack of 270 

West Virginia Central .Junction, 

stream pollution at_ 216, 2S5 
West Virginia Pulp and Paper Co.,- 

stream pollution by 20^, 

216, 283, 284-285 
Westernport, Md., precipitation at__ 39 
station on Georges Creek at, de- 
scription of 55 

measurements at 55-57, 65 

stream pollution at 216-217, 285 

water near, field assays of 288 

sanitary analysis of 292 

water supply of 277 

Weverton, Md., stream pollution at_ 242 
Whiflie and Moyer, on typhoid germ_ 260 
Whisky manufacture, description 

of 211-212 

stream pollution from 212, 220, 231 

Will, life and property of 5 

Williams, Pa., stream pollution at__ 219 
Williamson, Pa., stream pollution at 228 
water at, sanitary analyses of_ 293 
Williamsport, Md., measurements on 
Conoeocheague Creek 

near 91 

stream pollution at 229, 285 

Willis, Bailey, on geographic history 

of Potomac basin 7-22 

WillougUby Run, Pa., water of, field 

assay of 289 

Wills Creek, Md., basin of, popula- 
tion and area of 246, 252 

pollution of 218-222, 273, 286 

soils on 313 

station on, at Cumberland, Md., 

description of 58 

measurements at 58-60, 65 

view at 222 

turbidity of 313 

water of, field assay of 288 

mineral analyses of 296 

sanitary analyses of 292 

Wilson, W. Va., w^ater at, field as- 
says of 287 

Wilsonia, W. Va., water at, field as- 
say of 287 

Winchester, Va., settlement of 4 

steam pollution at 230, 232 

water supply of 230, 277 

Wind, disease spread by 258 

turbidity due to 330-.335 

Wind-breaks, creation of 332-335 

Wind gaps, character and location 

of 16, 18-19 



364 



INDEX. 



Page. 
AVinsIow. C.-E. A., and Sedgwick. 

W. T.. on typhoid fever 264 
Wolfden Run. Md.. pollution of.__ 215. 284 

water of, field assay of 287 

Wood pulp, manufacture of, descrip- 
tion of 201-203 

stream pollution from 202, 

20.3, 216, 234, 235, 283, 285 

view of 222 

■wastes from, effect of, on 

ashes 340-343 

Woodstock, Va., precipitation at 39 

stream pollution at 240 

water supply of 277 

Wool dyeing, methods of 210 

Wool scouring, methods of 206-208 

pollution from 206- 

208. 218, 230, 231-232 
waste from, purification of-- 207-208 



Woolens, washing of, pollution from 

215, 235 



age. 
208, 
, 237 



Yellow-slate soils, character and dis- 
tribution of 308-310, 316 

mechanical analyses of 309 



Zeit, F. R., and .Jordan, E. O.. ex- 
periments by, on ty- 
phoid germs 260 

Zoological Park, D. C, station on 
Rock Creek at, descrip- 
tion of 173 

station on Rock Creek at, mea- 
surements at 174-177 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL 

SURVEY. 

[Water-Supply Paper No. 192.] 

The serial publications of the United States Geological Survey consist of (1) 
Annual Reports, (2) Monographs, (3) Professional Papers, (4) Bulletins, (5) Mineral 
Resources, (6) Water-Supply and Irrigation Papers, (7) Topographic Atlas of United 
States — folios and separate sheets thereof, (8) Geologic Atlas of United States — 
folios thereof. The classes numbered 2, 7, and 8 are sold at cost of publication; the 
others are distributed free. A circular giving complete lists can be had on application. 

Most of the above publications can be obtained or consulted in the following ways: 

1 . A limited number are delivered to the Director of the Survey, from whom they 
can be obtained, free of charge (except classes 2, 7, and 8), on application. 

2. A certain number are delivered to Senators and Representatives in Congress, 
for distribution. 

3. Other copies are deposited with the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, 
D. C, from whom they can be had at practically cost. 

4. Copies of all Government publications are furnished to the principal public 
lil)raries in the large cities throughout the United States, where they can be consulted 
by those interested. 

The Professional Papers, Bulletins, and Water-Supply Papers treat of a variety of 
subjects, and the total number issued is large. They have therefore been classified 
into the following series: A, Economic geology ; B, Descriptive geology; C, System- 
atic geology and paleontology; D, Petrography and mineralogy; E, Chemistry and 
physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; J, Water stor- 
age; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water; M, General hydrographic investiga- 
tions; N, Water power; 0, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic progress reports. 
This paper is the fourteenth in Series H, the eighteenth in Series L, and the twentieth 
in Series M, the complete lists of which follow (PP= Professional Paper; WS=Water- 
Supply Paper): 

SERIES H— FORESTRY. 

PP 4. The forests of Oregon, by Henry Gannett. 1902. 36 pp., 7 pis. 

PP 5. The forests of Washington, a revision of e.stimates, by Henry Gannett. 1902. 38 pp., 1 pi. 

PP 6. Forest conditions in the Cascade Range, Washington, between the Washington and Mount 

Rainier forest reserves, by F. G. Plummer. 1902. 42 pp., 11 pis. 
PP 7. Forest conditions in Olympic Forest Reserve, Washington, from notes by A. Dodwell and T. F. 

Rixon. 1902. 110 pp., 20 pis. 
PP 8. Forest conditions in the northern Sierra Nevada, California, by J. B. Leiberg. 1902. 194 pp., 

12 pis. 
PP 9. Forest conditions in Cascade Range Forest Reserve, by -A. D. Langille, F. G. Plummer, A. Dod- 
well, T\ F. Rixon, and J. B. Leiberg, with introduction by Henry Gannett. 1903. 298 pp., 

41 pis. 
PP 22. Forest conditions in the San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserve, Arizona, by J. B. Leiberg, 

T. F. Rixon, and A. Dodwell, with an introduction by F. G. Plummer. 1904. 95 pp., 7 pis. 
PP 23. Forest conditions in the Black Mesa Forest Reserve, Arizona, prepared by F. G. Plummer, 

from notes by'T. F. Rixon and Arthur Dodwell. 1904. 62 pp.. 7 pis. 
PP 29. Forest conditions in the Absaroka division of the Yellowstone Forest Reserve, Montana, and 

the Livingston and Big Timber quadrangles, by J. B. Leiberg. 190.5. 48 pp., 3 pis. 
PP 30. Forest conditions in the Little Belt Mountains Forest Reserve, Montana, and the Little Belt 

Mountains quadrangle, by ,1. B. Leiberg. 1904. 7.5 pp., 2 pis. 

I 



II SERIES LIST. 

PP 3S. Forest conditions in the Lincoln Forest Rese^^'e, New Mexico, by F. G. Plummer and M. G. 

Gowsell. 1904. 47 pp., 12 pis. 
PP 37. The Southern Appalachian forests, by H. B. Ayres and W. W. Ashe. 1905. 291 pp., 37 pis. 
PP 39. Forest conditfons in the Gila River Forest Reserve. New Mexico, by T. F. Rixon. 1905. 

89 pp., 2 pis. 
WS 192. The Potomac River Vjasin: Geographic history — rainfall and stream flow — pollution, typhoid 

fever, and character of water — relation of soils and forest cover to quality and quantity of 

surface water — effect of industrial wastes on fishes, by H. N. Parker, Bailey Willis, R. H. 

Bolster, W. W. Ashe, and M. C. Marsh. 1907. 364 pp., 10 pis. 

SERIES L, QUALITY OF WATER. 

WS 3. Sewage irrigation, by G. W. Rafter. 1897. 100 pp., 4 pis. (Out of stock.) 

WS 22. Sewage irrigation, Pt. II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100 pp., 7 pis. (Out of stock.) 

WS 72. Sewage pollution near New York City, by M. O. Leighton. 1902. 75 pp., 8 pis. 

WS 76. Flow of rivers near New Y'ork City, by H.' A. Pressey. 1903: 108 pp., 13 pis. 

WS 79. Normal and polluted waters in northeastern United States, by M. O. Leighton. 1903. 192 pp., 

15 pis. 
WS 103. Review of the laws forbidding pollution of inland waters in the United States, by E. B. 

Goodell. 1904. 120 pp. 
WS 108. Quality of water in the Susquehanna River drainage basin, by M. (). Leighton, with an 

introductory chapter on physiographic features, by G. B. Hollister. 1904. 76 pp., 4 pis. 
WS 113. Strawboard and oil wastes, by R. L. Sackett and Isaiah Bowman. 1905. 52 pp., 4 pis. 
WS 121. Preliminary report on the pollution of Lake Champlain, by M. 0. Leighton. 1905. 119 pp., 

13 pis. 
WS 144. The normal distribution of chlorine in the natural waters of New York and New England, 

by D. D. .lackson. 1905. 31pp., 5 pis. 
WS 1.51. Field assay of water, by M.O. Leighton. 1905. 77 pp., 4 pis. (Out of stock.) 
WS 152. A review of the laws forbidding pollution of inland waters in the United States, second 

edition, by E. B. Goodell. 1905. 149 pp. 
WS 161. Quality of water in upper Ohio River basin and at Erie, Pa., by S. J. Lewis. 1906. 114 pp., 

6 pis. 
WS 179. Prevention of stream pollution by distillery refuse, based on investigations at Lynchburg. 

Ohio, by Herman Stabler. 1906. 34 pp., 1 pi. 
WS 185. Investigations on the purification of Boston sewage, by C. E. A. Winslow and Earle B. 

Phelps. 1906. 163 pp. 
WS 186. Stream pollution by acid-iron wastes, a report ba.sed on investigations made at Shelby, Ohio. 

by Herman Stabler. 190(5. 36 pp., 1 pi. 
WS 189. The prevention of stream pollution by strawboard waste, by Earle Bernard Phelps. 1906. 

29 pp., 2 pis. 
WS 192. The Potomac River basin: Geographic history — rainfall and stream flow — pollution, typhoid 

fever, and character of water— relation of soils and forest cover to quality and qnantity of 

surface water — etTect of industrial wastes on fishes, by H. N. Parker, Bailey Willis, R. H. 

Bolster, W. W. Ashe, and M. C. Marsh. 1907. 364 pp., 10 pis. 

SERIES M— GENERAL HYDROGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS. 

WS .56. Methods of stream measurement. 1901. 51 pp., 12 pis. 

WS 64. Accuracy of stream measurements, by E. C. Murphy. 1902. 99 pp., 4 pis. 

WS 76. Observations on the fiow of rivers in the vicinity of New Y'ork City, by H. A. Pressey. 1902, 

108 pp., 13 pis. 
WS 80. The relation of rainfall to run-off, by G. W. Rafter. 1903. 104 pp. 
WS 81. California hydrography, by J. B. Lippincott. 1903: 488 pp., 1 pi. 
WS 88. The Passaic flood of 1902; by G. B. Hollister and M. 0. Leighton. 1903. 56 pp., 15 pis. 
WS91. Natural features and economic development of the Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and 

Miami drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn a»d M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp. 
WS 92. The Passaic flood of 1903, by M. O. Leighton. 1904. 48 pp., 7 pis. 
WS 94. Hydrographic manual of the United States Geological Survey prepared by E. C. Murphy, 

J. C. Hoyt, and G. B. Hollister. 1904. 76 pp.. 3 pis. 
WS 95. Accuracy of stream measurements (second edition), by E. G. Murphy. 1904. 169 pp., 6 pis. 
WS 96. Destructive floods in the United States in 1903, by E. C. Murphy. 1904. 81 pp., 13 pis. 
WS 106. Water resources of the Philadelphia district, by Florence Bascom. 1904. 75 pp., 4 pis. 
WS 109. Hydrography of the Susquehanna River drainage basin, by J. C. Hoyt and R. H. Anderson. 

1904. 215 pp., 28 pis. 
WS 116. Water resources near Santa Barbara, California, by J. B. Lippincott. 1904. 99 pp., 8 pis. 
WS 147. Destructive floods in the United States in 1904, by E. C. Murphy and others. 1905. 206 pp., 

18 pis. 



SERIES LIST. Ill 

WS 150. W'L'ir experiments, coefficients, and formulas, by R. E. Horton. 1906. 189 pp., 3» pis. 

WS 162. Destruotive floocis in the United States in 1905, by E. C. Murphy and others. 1906. 105 pp., 

4 pis. 
WS IMO Turbine water-wheel tests and power tables, by Robert E. Horton. 1906. 134 pp.. 2 pis. 
WS 187. Determination of stream flow during the frozen season, by H. K. Barrows and Robert E. 

Horton. 1907. 93 pp., 1 pi. 
WS 192. The Potomac River basin: Geographic history — rainfall and stream flow— pollution; typhoid 

fever, and character of water — relation of soils and forest cover to quality and quantity of 

surface water— effect of industrial wastes on fishes, by H. N. Parker, Bailey Willis, R. H. 

Bolster, W. W. Ashe, and M. C. Marsh. 1907. 364 pp., 10 pis. 

Correspoiulente should be addressed to 

The Dikectoh, 

United States (teological Strvey, 

Washington, D. C. 
Makch, 1907. 

o 



V 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 192 PL. I 



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PEPARrME>T OF THE IIS TERIOR 

UNI1ED SIATES GEOLOGICAL bURVEY 

CHARLFS D WALCOTT D rector 

POTOMAC RIVEE DRAINi^GE BASIN 

ABOVE WASHINGTON 

SHOWING 

MEAN ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 

FOR DECADE 1895 1905 

Scale 1 633 600 



10 



20 30 40ldloraet«re 



Contour luterval GOO feet Sketch contoure dotted 
Datum 13 mean sea level 



Topograpl y 
Comp led from L S eoloflncal bur ey atlas alieets aud otl er ■«)urces 
L nee of equtl prec p tat on 
» baaed on all available observatioi a 

i-edu (.d to the con no p r od I8HS lOOC 

By Cleveland Abbe jr 

Jiane.1900 

LEGEND 

Lines of equal precipitation in Inohee >. 

Hypothetical lines of equal precipitation in iiiobee --■*/! 



77°30' 



